Darkness Falls
by Emotional-Hikari
Summary: (COMPLETED!)(Based on the movie) Remembrance of childhood stories have led one weiss to his greatest fear that has haunted since. Now unable to cope with the fear, can he survive - her?
1. Chapter 1: Don't Look!

Hi~ Yo!!  
  
Well, I'm doing it again - writing another story when I shouldn't be P  
  
Pairings: Undecided as of now  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimers: Don't own them, with the exceptions of my own characters.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
"Alright now, into bed - both of you." The woman stood at the door as the two children climbed under their covers. Once settled, the woman walked over to the bunk, climbing two-three steps up the ladder to give the youngest son a good-night kiss.  
  
"Now you two fall right to sleep! No under-the-covers flashlights, okay?" The boy nodded his head, she looked below to see the elder daughter nodding her head as well. The mother smiled, heading back towards the door, hand on the light switch she said good-night to them one last time, then turned the lights off and closed the door, leaving it open just ajar.  
  
After a few minutes had passed, the elder sister crawled out of her bed, and climbed up the ladder to her brother's.  
  
"You have your tooth?" She asked, the boy nodded, reaching under his pillow to show his sister the tooth. He smiled at her excitingly when he held it up.  
  
"My last one, o-neechan!"  
  
"Hai, you last baby tooth. It means you're not a baby anymore." She crawled up next to him, taking the tooth from his hand and placed it back underneath his pillow. She gave him a sisterly kiss on the forehead, before climbing back down the ladder.  
  
"Remember, when she comes - don't look at her!" She warned, climbing down the ladder to crawl back into her own bed. The boy laid back down on the mattress, turning on to his side, jade green eyes slowly closing to the welcoming sleep.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
His eyes snapped wide open; he felt as if someone or something was looming over him. A cold, eerie present seemed to be watching him closely - so close he could almost feel warm and cooling air against the back of his neck. It felt like someone breathing; he heard something shoosh around the room, like a bird or bat expect - faster. Afraid, he pulled the covers over his head, searching for the flashlight hidden among the covers.  
  
He held it close to him, keeping it off to avoid drawing attention to himself. He felt something hit the covers, making them flutter just a little so; panic-stricken, he turned the flashlight on, not caring if he drew attention - he already had the attention on him.  
  
"O-neechan?" He whispered softly, hoping his sister would hear him and not the present in the room - he received no response. Taking a risk, he cautiously pulled the covers down just below his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest; he flashed the light around the room, looking to see if the being or present was gone. Pulling the covers completely away from his face, he shone the light more to double check the thing was gone.  
  
Feeling his heart-beat returning to normal, and feeling less panicked, he reached to turn the flashlight off. Just as his finger was on the button, a shadow plunged right in front of him, a white face appeared, but he could only see the shadow outlining the eyes and mouth. He shined the light in the face and let out a scream.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
In the master bedroom, the mother woke up with a start, hearing something she thought was in her dreams. Checking to see her husband still asleep, she slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb his sleep; she opened the door looking down the hall to see the door to the children's bedroom wide open. She noticed a small stream of light under another closed door - the bathroom door to be exact.  
  
She walked down to the door, opening it see both children in there, the elder daughter tugging on the son's arm who was seated on the floor.  
  
"What's wrong, Reina?"  
  
"Youji said he needed to go the bathroom, so we went and now he won't go back in to our room!" The younger blond had himself wrapped tightly into a ball, face buried in his knees. The mother knelt down near Youji, gently running a hand through his hair getting him to look up at her.  
  
"What's the matter, Youji?"  
  
"Mama, something is the room and it wants to get me!" Reina sat cross- legged on the bathroom floor next to her brother, hands resting on her legs. She sighed and pouted at her little brother.  
  
"There's nothing in there! I keep telling you that! You're being such a baby!!"  
  
"Reina, hush!" The dark-haired woman turned to her with a slight stern look; the darker blond looked down to the tilted floor, biting her lower lip. The mother turned back to Youji, standing up to her feet, she signaled the two to follow her; she headed down the hall towards their room. Youji stood at the door, with Reina standing behind him, hand on his shoulder.  
  
// Stay in the light... //  
  
Their mother got closer to the room, and farther from the light of the bathroom; she looked back briefly to see the two were still standing there.  
  
// Please... stay in the light! //  
  
Finally, she reached the door to their room, looking inside to see nothing out of the ordinary. She turned back to them, stepping into the room fully. Youji closed his eyes, repeated in a whisper what he was thinking; Reina looked down at him, then looked back up to their mother.  
  
"See, there's nothing to fear - no ones here."  
  
"MAMA! STAY IN THE LIGHT!!" He yelled, seeing the shadow move behind the woman.  
  
"O-kaasan, behind you!!" The mother looked behind to face the shadow, letting out a scream that was quickly cut off when she was grabbed. Not sparing another moment, Reina pulled Youji back into the lit bathroom, shutting the door tight. The two jumped into the empty tub, Reina holding her brother close in her arms; she didn't see what had gotten their mother, but she knew she didn't want it to get her brother. She looked down at him, gently rocking him back and forth, wiping away the tears.  
  
"It's okay, Youji. Everything will be alright, it's okay, it's okay..." The darker blond buried her face in his hair, holding him tightly. They heard something move along the wall above them and then in front of them, looming outside the door. Reina stared at the door, feeling her pulse and breathing increasing each second; Youji kept his face buried in her chest, looking at the door through the corner of his eyes.  
  
The door suddenly bursted open, an ear-piercing shrill sounded through the open frame and in the hall. Reina looked away from the door, burying her face back into her brother's hair; Youji held on to her, crying into her chest. With either one afraid to move, the two stayed there for the rest of the night.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Next Morning:  
  
Police and ambulance were crowded around one house; one officer was questioned the father about the incident. The man couldn't explain, all he could say was he woke up, found both his children asleep in the bathroom with the light on and the mother dead in their bedroom. The officer nodded, saying he would update the family for anything found, then dismissed him. He headed for the car, where Reina and Youji were sitting in the back waiting for him; Seating himself in the on the driver's side, he sighed before starting up the engine.  
  
"O-toosan?"  
  
"Daijoubu, Reina, Youji - daijoubu." Reina nodded, watching behind them as they drove off. Once the house was out of sight, she looked down to her little brother, staring out the window; she reached her hand out to place on his shoulder, but flinched away from her touch.  
  
"It's not your fault... it never was." The lighter blond remained silent for a moment, before speaking.  
  
"I saw her..."  
  
"Who?" Again he remained silent, staring out the car window. Reina leaned in closer, getting a good hold on her brother's shoulder.  
  
"Who did you see?"  
  
"Her - I saw her, O-neechan. You were right... I shouldn't have looked." He looked at her with a blank look; the darker blond didn't understand what her brother meant, but the last part seemed to how clicked something in her mind. She had to laugh.  
  
"Youji, it's just a story - nothing more! It was just to scare us as kids! She doesn't exist!!"  
  
"I saw her and now she's going to get me just like she got mama..."  
  
"... Youji..." The lighter blond looked down to the floor, small tears escaping his child green eyes. Reina unbuckled his seat belt and pulled him in the middle, fastening him back in; she held Youji against her, one hand gently rubbing his scalp to calm him down.  
  
"Daijoubu - we're leaving now, it's okay, right? Youji? Youji?"  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Ugh, I never learn do I? ^^;;  
  
Thought I try something supernatural for a change. And yes, Youji does have an older sister in this one, so just pretend with me, onegai? ;-;  
  
For those of you who haven't seen or heard of Darkness Falls, it's a story about the tooth fairy. That's right the tooth fairy, but not those nice and happy and magical stories - nope, I'm talking about the scary, spooky, vengeful type tooth fairy.  
  
Anyways, can't say too much, or I'll give my fic away, so see ya next time!  
  
Hikari!! ^_^ 


	2. Chapter 2: Fear Arises

Hi ho... Short chapts, but don't mind me.  
  
Warnings: um...  
  
Pairings: Still undecided  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
"Oi, Youji! A little help!!" Ken yelled, trying to disembark himself from the crowd of school girls attempting to drape themselves on him. Youji merely looked at him, shrugging his shoulders then went back to tending the needs of the girl in front.  
  
"Anything you want in particular?"  
  
"Do you have yellow lilies?" She asked, a wide gentle smile on her face. Youji nodded, picking out a bunch of nearly full bloom lilies from the corner.  
  
"How many would like?" The girl thought for a moment, hand on her chin. Finally decided the number, she opened her mouth to answer, but stopped when she felt someone tugging her arm. She looked down to the little girl at her side, a tissue in one hand.  
  
"Imouto? What are you doing here, you're suppose to be at home now?"  
  
"O-neechan, I lost a tooth! See!!" The little girl unrevealed the tissue to show a small white tooth wrapped neatly inside; she held it up for her sister to see, a smile on her face. The sister smiled, taking the tooth from her hand.  
  
"So it finally came out, ne?"  
  
"Hai!"  
  
"Your last tooth?" Youji interrupted the pair with his question, leaning over the counter to get a better view of the child. The younger sister shook her head, taking the tooth back from her light-haired sister and wrapped it back in the tissue.  
  
"It's my fourth one!" She opened her mouth to show where it had once been; Youji smiled, moving from behind the counter to kneel down in front of the young girl. He gently held her jaw in his hand to see the gap better.  
  
"Remember not to peek, or you won't get any token for the tooth from her!"  
  
"I won't peek! I'll be sure!!" She smiled, stuffing the tissue into her jacket pocket for safe keeping; the elder sister sighed shaking her head. She leaned in closer to whisper to Youji.  
  
"Youji-san, you shouldn't tell her things like that - it's all fairy tale!" Youji stood back up to his height, going back to the register to ring up the price of the lilies. He corrected her comment about the fairy.  
  
"If you knew... you would believe." She blinked at him, taking the wrapped flowers from his hands and handed him the charge. Youji dropped the dark attitude and smiled, waving good-bye to her and her little sister.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Youji stretched, prepared to jump right into bed and sleep for two days straight. The shop had been extra busy today, even for him. He turned off the main lights, leaving the night-lamp on his side drawer the only source of light; heading on over to the bed he crawled under the covers. He paused, glancing towards the window by his bed; he crawled over to it making it was secured tightly and no wind was leaking in. He felt a familiar fear rise in his chest - he shook his head clear, reaching into the drawer to pull out a small bottle.  
  
// Just a story - it's just a story! //  
  
Unscrewing the cap, he dumped two pills out on to his hand then placed the bottle aside, reaching for the glass of water. He swallowed each pill one by one, gulping down the clear liquid to wash them down each time; feeling himself calming down, he placed the glass on the surface, drowsiness taking a sudden hold of him.  
  
// Medication... always works. //  
  
Youji reached for the chain of the night-lamp, about to tug it down when a knock on the door startled him. When the door opened, a familiar blond popped his head around the corner.  
  
"Oyasumi, Youji-kun."  
  
"A-aa. Oyasumi." The elder blond replied a little shakily, but it had gone un-noticed. Omi nodded, closing the door shut behind him; Youji let out his breath, reaching for the chain once more and douse the lights.  
  
~~*~~  
  
Sub-consciously his grip on the sheets tightened, as the peak of his nightmare began to show. His eyes tighten, burying his face into his pillow - he could hear the broken, haunting whisper calling his name, looming over him.  
  
Startled, Youji opened his eyes, staring through the corner of his eyes searching for the presents of another being in his room. His pulse and breathing increased rapidly knowing someone - or something else was in his confides. Cautiously and with shaky hands, he reached for his watch containing his wire on the drawer; just as his hand was on the object, he felt a cold, rough hand grab his arm. Eyes wide with fear, and teeth clenched in terror, Youji forced himself to face to person grabbing his arm; he saw the white mask and she shrilled at him. Youji screamed, his other hand quickly reaching for the chain and pulled it, the light turning on.  
  
~~*~~  
  
Aya sat upright in his bed, having thought he heard something; reaching for his katana, he went to investigate the house just in case. Easing his door open, he glanced down the hallway, noticing a stream of light underneath one of the closed doors. Quietly, he stalked down the hall, unsheathing his katana from it case; he noticed along the way the eldest member's door wide open with the night-lamp on.  
  
Ignoring it, he continued towards the door, coming up to it. He placed a careful hand on the knob, sword in hand; he counted, before turning the knob and rushed in, taking an offensive position. The redhead paused, only to find it was just Youji sitting inside the empty tub, curled up in a tight ball. Aya blinked, sword still held in the air; a few seconds later Omi and Ken came up behind him - Omi with a few darts in his hand and Ken with just his fists.  
  
"Aya-kun, what happened?" Omi asked, noting that the older blond was huddling in the tub, shoulders shaking violently, possibly crying. The three entered into the bathroom fully; Ken walked to the edge of the tub, bending over slightly to see Youji's face.  
  
"Oi, Yo-tan. Daijoubu ka?" The blond murmured, shoulders still shaking, jade eyes small and wide with fear. Ken leaned in closer, trying to pick up what the man was saying; he managed something about 'coming after', but who was after who and why he could not hear the rest.  
  
"Youji-kun, what happened? Please tell us." Omi came up on the other side, deep blue eyes tired, but worried at the strange behavior the eldest member was showing. Youji didn't answer, mouth hanging slightly open; he murmured again, hands grasping the sides of his head as he buried it in his knees.  
  
"I think he's saying about something in his room..." Ken looked to the others, only hearing the word 'room' and assuming from there. Aya hned, turning back towards the door, katana in hand; Youji raised his head up, frightful tears streaming down his face as he spoke up for the first time.  
  
"Don't go away!! You have to stay here or..."  
  
"Or - what?" The redhead asked, turning around to face the older man; Youji didn't answer, dropping his head back down. Ken climbed into the tub, seeing it obvious that the blond wasn't moving, and placed a comforting arm around the man's shoulders.  
  
"It's alright Youji. There's nothing to be afraid of - if you want, I'll stay the night here with you, ne?" Youji didn't answer; he leaned into the comforting embrace, feeling the familiar warmth slowly calming him down. Omi climbed in next to him on the other side, giving the older blond a pat on the shoulder.  
  
"I'll stay too, Youji-kun!" Youji gazed at the boy through the corner of his eye, seeing the warm smile Omi always had on his face; he felt his own mouth form into a small smile. Aya stared at the three in the tub, letting out a sigh he walked towards them, seating himself on the tilted floor in front of them.  
  
"... Aya-kun?"  
  
"You two are being ridiculous - someone has to have common sense." Ken narrowed his eyes at the redhead's comment, giving him a fake laugh. Omi sighed, shifting till he found a comfortable sleeping position up against the frighten Youji; the older man was slowly falling back to sleep against Ken's chest, his eyes closing then fluttered open, then closing. Aya held his sword in his arms, letting his head dropped down a little making sure though, nothing was watching them. After some time had passed, nearly all four of them had fallen asleep - Omi leaning on Youji, Youji against Ken and Aya in a sitting position on the floor.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Gomen minna if there isn't a pairing yet - I'm still iffy about them and how I'm going to fit one in. So, just have to wait. Pls read and review, tell me how I'm doing? Onegai? ^^;;  
  
Hikari!! ^_^ 


	3. Chapter 3: Who Turned The Lights Off?

Yoshi~! I finally updated something!!!!!!!!! (Large grin!) Gomen nasai minna-san, but it took me forever to write again! I went into a period of 'not-interested-in-writing-but-have-to' time. *Sigh*  
  
Anyways, I finally updated!! (Yeah)  
  
Warnings: .... What warning?  
  
Pairing: Undecided  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Key: /..\ = voice on the other side of the phone  
  
//..// = thoughts  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Aya mumbled, firmly rubbing the back of his neck, relieving himself of the cramp. He suspects sleeping in a sitting position was the cause of the discomfort. Omi sat across the table from him, staring at the redhead with a queer look.  
  
"Do you want me to massage your neck, Aya-kun?"  
  
"I'm fine!" Aya mumbled his reply, not allowing any eye-contact between him and the boy. Omi sighed, resting his head in hand.  
  
"Face it Aya-kun. You're human." That earned him a harsh glare from the redhead, but Omi simply waved it off, un-effected after a few months of putting up with it. At that moment, Ken walked into the kitchen, stretching his arms above his head; he took a seat in between Aya and Omi, leaning forward on his arms.  
  
"Anything unusual, Ken-kun?" The brunet shook his head, shrugging his shoulders.  
  
"Nothing - nothing disrupted, nothing tampered with. And the window was lock tight, so I don't know." Ken sighed again, leaning back into the chair, arms behind his head. Omi scratched the back of his head, thinking of any possible reason why they had found the eldest member as he was last night.  
  
"Maybe Youji-kun had a nightmare?" Ken gave the boy an odd look.  
  
"Then it must've been one hell of a nightmare to scare him that bad!" Omi pouted, resting his head in both his hands.  
  
"It's just a suggestion..." A long silence hung between the three of them; after a few minutes had gone by, Youji walked around the corner fully dressed and a smile on his face.  
  
"Ohaiyo, minna!" Ken and Omi blinked at the behavior of the older man, waving a hand to show they heard him. Youji nodded, heading over to the counter to fix himself a cup of coffee for the day; Aya noticed the blond was carrying an object in his hand.  
  
"Youji, what are holding?" Youji paused his actions, turning to stare at the redhead holding up the object in his hand. He held up a fairly large, fairly powerful silver color flashlight. Aya blinked at the object.  
  
"What, this? Just a flashlight I found."  
  
"Why do you have a flashlight, Youji-kun? It's not dark out!" The older blond shrugged, continuing on with his task of making coffee.  
  
"You never know when you need it, Omittchi!" Omi pouted at his nickname, almost yelling his head off at the older man for the use of that name. Youji just merely poked at him with the flashlight, a wide smile on his face, succeeding in frustrated the boy more.  
  
Seeing they were forgotten, Aya stood up from his chair and headed down to the shop to prepare for the opening; Ken stayed a moment longer, watching the two blondes bicker. He let out a sigh, standing to his own feet to follow the redhead's example.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Youji stretched his arms above his head, as Omi said his parts to the last customer of the day. Aya was slowly rotating his head, still trying to relieve himself of the cramp he still had; Ken was busy putting away the last of the plants for closing.  
  
Youji stood outside of the Koneko, watching the sun slowly making its way down to the horizon; his grip on the flashlight tighten, barely even dark yet and already he felt the fear of night settling itself in his chest.  
  
"Mou, Youji-kun! Help clean up!!" Omi yelled from inside; the older man sighed, heading back into the shop to help the boy sweep up the mess inside. A few sweeps and cursing later, they were finally ready to pull down the shutters; just as Youji was about to do the task, a certain female redhead appeared, folder in hand.  
  
"Manx!"  
  
"Konban wa, Weiss. I have a mission for you!"  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
"Any to all of the information required is in the folder and on this tape." She held up the tape in her hand, placing the folder in the other hand on the table in front of the four men. She walked over to the TV and VCR, pushing the tape in.  
  
"Not all four are required for the mission, so one of you gets to relax for the night." She pressed play on the machine, singling for the lights to be turned off. Ken, being close to the switch, nodded his hand reaching to flip it. When the lights shut off, however, Youji panicked, but kept quiet; he could feel his heart beat increase, searching the room widely with his eyes careful not to attract the others attention.  
  
All too soon, he could hear his heart beat, pounding in his ears, his eyes slightly wide with fear; not taking much more of the dark, he whimpered then yelped, holding his head in between his arms.  
  
The lights went back on, and everyone stared at the older blond hiding his face in his arms. Omi moved to Youji's side, shaking him slightly on the shoulder.  
  
"Youji-kun, daijoubu ka?" Youji slowly looked up, seeing that the lights were back on again, and that he had every single person's eye on him. He slowly calmed himself down, apologizing for his behavior just a few minutes ago; Manx only nodded, but kept the thought in mind as she continued on with her instruction.  
  
After the explaining was done, it was time to chose which three were going and the lucky one who would be staying home tonight. Aya had the first say, agreeing as he always did for missions; there were a few votes directed to Youji, but he put all down refusing to leave the house.  
  
"Demo, Youji-kun! You haven't done a mission in a while!! It's not going to look good on the record!!"  
  
"Omi's right you know! Now, let's go Yo-tan!" The older man still refused, burying his head again in his arms, trying to block out their voices. Ken and Omi both opened their mouths when Manx cut them off.  
  
"Balinese is not going anywhere!!! Bombay, Siberian you're going - now get!" The two youngest members looked at the redhead with wide eyes of disbelief; Aya went to get ready, dragging the two half-shocked members with him. Youji looked up at Manx with a confused look; she smiled gently at him, seating herself down next to him.  
  
"...Manx?"  
  
"You can thank me later! Now - tell me... what's bothering you?" Youji looked down to the floor, feeling around for the flashlight he had earlier today on the couch; he found it and held it tightly in his grasp. He wasn't sure where to start or even if he should start at all; he couldn't talk to Manx, even if this was sort of like a dream opportunity, he couldn't talk to her the way he wanted to.  
  
"Betsu ni..."  
  
"Nothing? You're sure?" She asked, trying to look at the blond's face for eye-contact; Youji nodded, gazing off in the opposite direction. Manx stayed a moment longer before standing up to her feet; she gave him one last look before heading upstairs to leave.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Youji rocked himself back and forth on the couch, knees to his chest; it had been two hours since the others had left for the mission, leaving him with the house to himself. After the others had left, Youji went around the entire household turning on every single light that was available to him. When he was done, the blond seated himself on the couch turning the TV on for noise sake, a distraction.  
  
// Calm down, calm down! She can't get you in the light - light is good... //  
  
Youji had already taken his daily prescription, but it hadn't helped him one bit, he was too jumpy to allow the medication to settle. He stared at the screen, wondering what he was watching - if was anything horror or supernatural he wouldn't watch, his mind was filled with too many thoughts of what lies in the dark. Huddling himself impossibly close, he whimpered, wishing he could talk to someone.  
  
He head suddenly perked up, as realization dawned on him - there was someone he could talk to, someone he hadn't heard from in a very, very long time. He reached for the wireless phone on one of the end tables near, first thinking about the number before punching it in; he waited for someone to pick up the phone. After a few rings, a female voice answered the call.  
  
/ "Hello?" \  
  
"Hi Carmen."  
  
/ "... Youji?! What are you still doing up?? Isn't it like - 11pm over there?!" \  
  
"It's only 10:36, Carmen. Anyway, is my sister there?"  
  
/ "Hmm, sorry, you just missed her. She left for work not to long ago." \  
  
"Thanks Carmen."  
  
/ "Anytime! Bye!" \ Youji smiled as he heard her hang up; he could tell she was smiling on the other, he could hear it in her voice. Canceling the number, he type in a different one, hoping it could answered easily; the phone rang for several minutes before someone had finally answered.  
  
/ "Hello?" \ The voice sounded rushed and uneven, as if the person on the other end had running, or just panicked to get the phone answered. Youji smiled gently.  
  
"Ohaiyo, o-nee-chan..."  
  
/ "Youji? Nan - what?" \ Youji laughed slightly at the surprise in his sister's voice; it was rare that Reina every got emotional or excited over things lately.  
  
"Hai, how have you been?"  
  
/ "Ah, fine. Though business isn't going so good; I'm still waiting on that damn partner of mine to... aren't you suppose to be in bed?" \ Youji pouted, hearing the frown in his sister's voice.  
  
"O-nee-chan, I'm not a baby anymore!!"  
  
/ "You're acting like one now! Something wrong, Youji?" \ He could hear the worry in her voice; Reina always knew something was wrong whenever he acted childish or sounded like a child. Youji gulped, turning down the volume of the TV.  
  
"She's after me again - she's found me and now she is coming for me again..." Youji paused, curling himself back into the tight ball he was in earlier that night.  
  
/ "Youji...?" \  
  
"O-nee-chan - I'm scared!"  
  
/ "Shh, it's okay Youji. O-nee-chan's here; I won't let her harm you in any way! It's okay, I'm here..." \ Youji listened to his sister's words, trying to keep himself from crying at the fear in his chest; slowly he started to calm down as Reina continued to talk to him, speaking gently, loving words to him. She started to softly sing to him a lullaby, one their mother used to sing when they didn't want to sleep.  
  
"Arigatou, o-nee-chan!"  
  
/ "You're very welcome, Youji. I'm always here if you need me. Oyasumi nasai." \  
  
"Oyasumi, o-nee-chan..." The phone clicked, then left him with the dead tone. Wiping away the few tears that slipped out from his eyes, he placed the phone back on it's holder, lying himself down on the couch turning the volume of the TV up again. He watched the images on the screen, his eyes slowly fluttering close as sleep came to him at last.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Ken dragged himself through the door after the others, wiping the sweat off his face. It had been hot tonight and the three assassins had waited nearly three-four hours for their target to show up. While in the meantime, they had roasted in the heat - maybe except for Omi, who always - nearly always - wore shorts.  
  
"Aya-kun, did you leave the lights on?" The redhead looked at the boy, shaking his head; Omi hummed, turning to Ken. Before he opened his mouth, the brunet cut him off.  
  
"No, I didn't either!"  
  
"Then that leaves one person left..."  
  
"Youji!" Both Aya and Ken said at the same time; Omi nodded, shedding off the two jackets he was wearing and his cap, setting them aside to attend to later. Ken untied the sweater around his waist, shrugging off the thick, heavy brown off his shoulders; Aya pulled off his leather trench coat, katana still in hand.  
  
The three then looked around the area for signs of the last member's presence. After some time, they separated Ken heading upstairs, Aya heading for the kitchen and Omi to the living room. The boy could help but smile at the sight; quietly he signaled the others to take a look. Ken, too, smiled at the sight once he got there.  
  
"Should we wake him up? Or carry him to bed?" Ken whispered, eyeing the sight of the older blond asleep on the couch, one arm under his head as a pillow and the other half -dangling off the couch. Omi shook his head.  
  
"He looks too peaceful - we'll just cover him up and turn the lights off." Ken nodded his head in agreement, Aya just shrugged answering with an 'hn' noise. Omi went to retrieve a blanket, carefully covering Youji's slumbering figure; the older man made a noise, subconsciously moving the arm hanging over the edge of the sofa up near his face. Startled, Omi had jumped back a little, but noticed the man was still asleep; sighing, he motioned the others to leave and to leave quietly. They left, turning off the lights Youji had turned on after they had left.  
  
"Oyasumi nasai, Youji-kun!" Omi whispered, a warm smile on his face. He turned to catch up with Ken and Aya at the base of the stairs. Just as they had reached the first few steps, they heard a scream from the darken living room.  
  
"Youji!" Ken and Aya were quicker to react, while Omi still stood there as the redhead and brunet passed him; regaining his senses, the younger blond followed after them to the dark area. Aya flipped the switch, lighting up the room; there sat an awoken and very frighten Youji, gripping tightly on a flashlight with it's light on. Ken went over to the couch, leaning a little way over to see the blond's face.  
  
"Oi, Youji. Daijoubu?" The older man whimpered, small tears streaming down his face, eyes closed tightly. Ken reached a hand out to gently grasp the blond's shoulder; Youji opened his eyes, staring at the brunet with a frightful look. Ken made his way around the couch, seating himself next to the scared man; he had no chance to speak again, when Youji launched himself at the brunet, crying hysterically on his shoulder.  
  
"OI! Youji?!" Ken looked at him with a stern look, feeling slightly embarrassed by the older man's actions. Youji was not known for crying on someone's shoulder, more else a guy's shoulder for that matter; Ken was about to make an attempt to push the blond off when Youji started speaking.  
  
"Who... who the hell... turn off the lights?!" He asked between sobs, his face never once leaving the younger man's shoulder. All three sort of looked to each other with slightly guilty looks.  
  
"Gomen, Youji-kun. We didn't think it would bother you." Youji didn't reply, he kept his face buried in Ken's shoulder, who had completely forgotten about his attempts to push the blond away. Finally, Youji stopped crying, only having an occasional sniffle now and then; he pulled away from Ken, apologizing for the now soaking shoulder. Ken sighed, making an excuse for Youji's comfort.  
  
"It's late, we should really get some rest."  
  
"I don't feel like sleeping..." Youji replied, staring down at the space in front of him; all three stared at him. Ken stood up to his feet, hauling Youji up to his too and walked him up the stairs to his bedroom; Omi and Aya followed after only to go to their own rooms, leaving the brunet to dealing with the eldest member.  
  
Ken opened the blond's door, not surprised that the light was on everywhere. Gently shoving Youji into his room, he settled the blond into his own bed making him lied down on the mattress, but Youji refused sitting back up again. Ken sighed in frustration, his patience much more thinner then normal in his tired state.  
  
"Youji, pleassseee go to sleep! I'm tired and can't stay up with you!"  
  
"Who said you had to?" Ken blinked at the question; Youji looked at him strangely. He was right - Youji was right, no one told Ken he had to stay with the older man, in fact - no one had even thought of it. Which left him wondering.  
  
// Why then am I staying? //  
  
Ken sighed, seeing the point Youji had pointed out to him. Weary and slightly frustrated, Ken left the older man's room, saying good night; he reached for the light switch about to turn it off when Youji made a noise reminding him. The brunet paused, muttering an apology to the blond, closing the door behind him.  
  
Youji stared at the closed door, lying back down on the bed; he reached under his pillow to make sure the flashlight he hidden was still. Feeling the object under his finger tips, he let out a sigh, wrapping his hand tight around the piece.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Hmm, poor Youji. I pick on him waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy too much! ^^;;  
  
Please tell how I'm doing so far; it will be a bit different from the movie, since I need to work my way around to get the parts right. I hope ppl enjoyed this...  
  
Review pls! ;_; Onegai?  
  
Hikari!! ^_^ 


	4. Chapter 4: Power Failure

Yoho!! Gomen nasai minna-san. I've been lazy which is why it took me a while to update! P Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapt.  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Pairings: No idea yet!  
  
Warnings: Possible shounen-ai??  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Ken sat at the table, his head nodding on and off; giving up he rested his head in his hand, dozing off into a light sleep. Aya came by and whacked the brunet hard on the head, banging the surface of the table.  
  
"Itai!! Aya, what was THAT for?!" Ken rubbed his forehead, glaring at the redhead. Aya hned, turning back to his own workstation. Ken hmpfed, going back to work on whatever he was doing before.  
  
"Not my fault if I didn't get enough sleep! Unlike -someone- I'm human." Aya glared at him from the corner of his eye, but ignored the comment otherwise. He looked over to the counter, where Youji sat behind; it was school hours so there were no crowds to bother with. The older man probably had the least sleep compared to all of them, but he somehow was working better then Ken was at the current moment.  
  
Aya noticed the blond was sketching something on a piece of blank paper; curious, Aya tried to find a better angle view of the image, but he was in a wrong position to do so. The hand holding the pencil stilled; Youji set the paper facing downwards, hiding the image and set the pencil next to it. He stood up to his feet, flashlight in hand, and headed upstairs.  
  
"I'll be back down in a minute - I need to check something." Aya only nodded, waiting for the blond to fully leave the room. Once Youji had left, the redhead made his way over to the counter, his hand on the paper.  
  
"Oi Aya! I don't think it would be wise to see what Youji drew, knowing him!" The redhead ignored him, flipping the paper over to expose the picture. Aya gave it an odd look, staring at the single image on the paper; it looked almost like a person, expect the bottom where legs were suppose to go, came to a point. The arms were stretched out, as if ready to grab or come down on something; the hands thin, almost bone like and the fingers ended in sharp points. The figure was cloaked in what could be layers of robes, the underside fraying and torn. The face was nothing more then a white area, with three shaded areas indicating a mouth and eyes.  
  
"Where the hell did he get an idea like that?!" Aya jumped slightly at the brunet's voice, but it had gone unnoticed; Ken took the picture from the redhead's hand staring at the image. Aya took it back, placing it back on the counter the way he found it and pushed Ken back to his workstation, while he went back to his. The brunet glared at him, but didn't say anything. After a few minutes, Youji entered the shop seating himself behind the counter again, not suspecting that his sketch was touched.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Omi looked over the ledge of the roof, waiting for any signs of movement down in the alley below. Ken sat on the floor, back up against the ledge wiping away the sweat from his face. It was not as hot as it had been the other night, but the temperature difference was none to great.  
  
"Oi, Omi?"  
  
"Hai?"  
  
"You think Youji's going to be okay? I mean, he seemed pretty scared." The blond didn't leave the edge, still searching around the darken alley, knowing that Aya was down there waiting for their target.  
  
"I'm sure Youji-kun will be okay. Besides, this should be a quick job once the target shows up!" Ken looked at the boy with a slightly disbelief look, staring at the space in front of him.  
  
"You sound confident..." Omi looked at the brunet with an attempt at anger, but ending up with just a stern pout.  
  
"Oi! What's that suppose to mean?! I know this is supposed to be a whole team mission, but Youji-kun refused!! And Manx is letting him sit out!!" Ken frowned in annoyance; as cute and cheery the boy was - he could be a slight pest when provoked to it.  
  
The light on the roof flickered, catching Ken's attention; Omi stopped ranting, staring at the flicker light as well. Soon it completely shut off, and everything became dark. Omi looked around them, seeing that practically ever light in the city was off. Aya's voice came fuzzy over the transmission.  
  
"Bombay, what's going on?"  
  
"Uh, well..." The two youngest members saw a flash of lightening, followed by a loud thunder clap, before heavy rain began to pour. Both Ken and Omi blinked at the sudden summer storm; Aya's voice sounded through the com again.  
  
"Never mind... Let's go!" Ken pulled the com out of his ear, frustrated with the weather's decisions. Omi only sighed, the storm throwing off all plans of catching their target tonight; Ken cursed silently under his breath, all the way down till they met up with Aya - who was just as equally soaked as they were, despite the thick, heavy leather trench coat.  
  
"Manx is not going to like this!" The redhead only glared at Ken, heading out back through the doors and into the rain. The mission was not too far from the Koneko, so they were able to walk; but now they had buckets of rain to walk through. Ken cursed again, following after the stone-hearted redhead, Omi following behind after.  
  
// First a power failure, then a storm!!! What's with our luck?! // Ken stopped in his tracks, a sudden thought occurred to him, something he didn't think of till now. Omi stopped right behind, giving a question gaze at the brunet.  
  
"Ken-kun, daijoubu ka?" Without warning, he ran ahead, grabbing Aya by the sleeve. Omi's eyes went wide at his friend's daring act, and ran to catch up with them.  
  
Aya gave Ken the most deadliest glare he could muster, but the brunet ignored it, still pulling him along. Annoyed that his glare wasn't working, Aya decided to try threats.  
  
"If you don't let go right now, I'll substitute you for the target!!!"  
  
"URUSAI!!! Just RUN!!!!" Aya stared slightly surprised at the brunet; taken back that someone had actually back-talked him. Omi finally managed to get up along Ken, a nervous look on his face.  
  
"Ken-kun, what is going on?"  
  
"Remember how Youji acted when we turned off the lights a few nights back?"  
  
"Yeah, so? Eh?! Sou ka!!! Youji-kun's alone in the dark!!!" Ken nodded, finally letting go of Aya's sleeve when felt the redhead would keep on running. Aya pulled his arm back the minute the brunet had let go, picking up his pace to keep up with the ex-soccer player.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Youji huddled himself on the couch again, watching a random channel on TV. He kept the flashlight tight in his hand, trying to keep his mind on what was showing and not what was lurking in the dark, waiting to strike him and drag him away. He heard a slight rumbling in the distance; he past it as thunder, another unpredictable summer storm.  
  
He buried his face in his knees, closing his eyes tight, trying to forget the fear the dark - trying to forget her. The lights began to flicker; Youji's head shot straight up, looking around his surrounds. The TV went on and off with the lights, till everything just shut itself off. Panicked, Youji quickly turned on his flashlight, holding it in front of him. He searched around the room, with his eyes, hearing something moving around the room close to the walls.  
  
He could hear her - her voice, her breathing, his name whispered hoarsely in the dark. He could feel his pulse beating rapidly, his breathing becoming harsh and uneven from the fear flowing through his body. He heard her growls, closer then they were before; he looked to the general direction of the noise, sweat dripping down his forehead. He could see her waiting, waiting to strike, waiting for the light to die.  
  
Youji stared wide-eyed in terror, unable to move or scream; she reached out a long, scrawny, bone-like hand out for him, her face coming closer and closer towards him. He could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ear, quickening as she got closer. He screamed, flashing the light in her face; she shrilled, flying swiftly back into the dark.  
  
Taking his chance, Youji jumped off the couch and ran in any directions, hoping to make to some sort of a safe place. He could hear her following after him; as fast as he could ran, she was much faster. He dared not looked back, keeping a tight hold on the flashlight in his hand.  
  
He bumped and banged into many miscellaneous objects along the way, but managed to keep going, not sure where he was heading for. He could still hear her following him, screeching and growling.  
  
Youji tripped on something, falling flat on his face; the flashlight flew out of his hands, leaving him defenseless against her. He felt her rip the flesh on his arm and he hollered, pain pulsing through his whole arm. He attempted to scoot away from her, but he could get far; he stared at her face, hateful bright eyes staring back at him through the mask. Tears escaped his eyes, holding onto his injured arm and literally gasping for breath as she continued to stare hateful and intensely at him.  
  
Youji could hear her move again to strike another deadly blow, this time it would be the last. He closed his eyes, hoping that this was just a dream, just an illusion and it would go away; he heard her shrill in pain, feeling the cold wind against his skin. Taking a risk, Youji opened his eyes to find she was gone and he was basked in cool blue light.  
  
Pushing himself up to a sitting position, he looked down into the dark rooms, before looking at the source of the light that had just saved him. He saw it was one those tap light, taped to the wall of the hallway; Youji wondered how it could have been turned on, when he noticed his flashlight underneath it. The blond let out a relief sigh of his luck, and the chibi; they had watched a scary movie a while back, and Omi had been afraid of going down to the kitchen when was pitch black. So to solve the problem, Aya had gotten a tap light to put on the wall; it was the only light in the house that probably didn't run on an electric current.  
  
Youji crawled over to the light, seating himself against the wall, leaning his head back against it. He cradled his wounded arm on his lap, hoping to stop the blood that was flowing out of it.  
  
// K'so! Aya will kill me for the bloodstains on the rug!! //  
  
He just sighed, making no attempted to dress his wound or clean the blood off; he stayed under the light knowing that she was still out there, in the dark waiting - waiting to kill him.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Ken literally bursted through the door, landing on the floor due to his momentum; Omi and Aya followed after, stopping successfully without tripping over the brunet. They were glad to see the power had come back on, but even if Youji was in the dark for a short amount of time - he still freaked.  
  
"Youji!!" Ken called out, listening but receiving no response. The three split up, searching around the house for the eldest member; Ken headed for the living room, Aya headed for the kitchen and Omi took the upstairs. The blond reached the stairs when he saw Youji, sitting up against the wall with one of the tap lights on.  
  
"Youji-kun!!" Omi smiled in relief, walking closer towards the older man; his smile however turned into concern when he noticed bloodstains on the carpet. He took a better look at the older blond, seeing he was cradling his left arm, dry blood covering most of it. He kneeled by Youji, seeing that the man was still wake.  
  
"Ken-kun, Aya-kun!! Youji-kun's hurt!!" Immediately, the two members came rushing to the hall, finding Omi kneeling by the injured blond, holding his arm out to inspect the wound. Ken knelt down in front of Youji, gently shaking him on the shoulder; Aya noticed the stains on the rug, but ignored them and focused more on Youji's injury.  
  
"Oi, Youji what happened? Come on, snap out of it!!!" The blond didn't say anything, he just kept staring at the space in front of him, oblivious to his surrounds. Ken continued to shake him, trying receive any kind of reaction, till he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to the redhead, with questioning eyes.  
  
"You shouldn't shake him like that! I think he's gone into shock!"  
  
"Then we should take him upstairs - we can tend to him better up there!" Omi replied; Aya nodded, he and Ken carefully lifting the eldest member off the floor and cautiously carried him up to his room, placing him on his bed. On reflex, Youji curled himself into a semi-tight ball, cradling his injured arm between his chest and legs. Omi ducked out of the room to the bathroom, returning a few minutes later with the medic kit in hand and began to tend to the older blond.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Eeee... not too fond of this chapter. Sorry if the writing sucks, I've just finished re-watching darkness falls again, so I'm working on it, I'm working on it!  
  
Pls review (and read, though this is kind of pointless since you're already here! ¬.¬)  
  
Hikari!! ^_^ (Hikari12) 


	5. Chapter 5: Worrisome

Tee!!! ARRRGH!!!! So short!!!!! @.@  
  
Gomen nasai, minna-san, but I didn't want it to go on to the next part yet (which is why it's so incredibly, un-believable, impossible short!) However... I'm working on the chap now, so I should have it up quickly!  
  
Warnings: ... somewhere!  
  
Pairings: They're somewhere too!  
  
Rating: That's here, PG-13  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
"How is he?" Aya sighed as he closed Youji's bedroom door, leaning against it; Ken stood there, waiting for an answer from the redhead.  
  
"He's asleep now - finally! Though for how long he'll stay asleep, not sure." Ken nodded his head. The two stood outside the blond's door for a few more minutes, before Aya straightened himself and headed downstairs to the shop to help Omi open it. Ken sighed, letting his mind wander back to last night; they had managed to recovery the eldest member from his shock, but after that - they couldn't get him to sleep.  
  
// Youji hurt himself last night... but why?! //  
  
He stood outside of Youji's door for several minutes, before moving to catch up with Aya. Ken placed a daring hand on the redhead's shoulder, getting him to stop in his tracks; Aya turned to glare at the brunet, but he waved it off.  
  
"This is happening too often Aya! I'm really starting to worry about him!! We have to..."  
  
"I'm taking Youji to the hospital after work, if you want to come along - fine." Aya interrupted, shrugging the hand off his shoulder. Ken blinked at the redhead, surprised of what Aya had said.  
  
"Aya? You're worried too?" The redhead hummed, turning to head back down towards the shop to open it. Ken smiled to himself; whatever excuse the redhead had, he knew somewhere underneath the excuse, was just a caring co- worker.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Blah... gomen minna-san for short chapter, but I'm working on it!!! It's hard being a Junior in my school!!! Anyways, I'll like to take the time to thanks some wonderful ppl:  
  
Misura: Yee, arigato gozaimasu! Glad to see you around again!! I'll try to get to you on Teen Love as soon as possible. ^^;; I'm having trouble again with plot! ~ Bat: Arigato too!! I'm glad you like this fic. ^^ ~ Snowshoe Koneko: Arigato gozaimasu!!! I'm glad you're reading my story - even if you are afraid of horror movies and all. ^^  
  
Till next time!  
  
Hikari!! ^_^ (Hikari12) 


	6. Chapter 6: Family Reunion

Yah! A longer chapt!!! Sorry for the short chapt 5!! P I just didn't want to write this next part out so soon. Anywas... let's go!!!  
  
Warnings: ...  
  
Pairings: working on it!!  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Ken and Aya waited outside the office, waiting for the report from the doctor. As Aya had said, he had taken Youji to the hospital for an examination to isolate the problem and hopefully find a cure for the blond. Ken had tagged along just cause he was really worried for his friend; he figured Omi could handle the shop along with Momoe while they were gone.  
  
After a half hour had passed, the doctor finally stepped out of the office, clipboard in hand. Ken stood straight up to his feet, while Aya turned his attention to the man. The doctor cleared his throat before talking.  
  
"As far as from what I can tell - there's really nothing wrong with him, but I can't be certain. He may have to stay here for a while till we can find out more."  
  
"So, there's nothing at all?" Ken asked; the man just shook his head, placing the clipboard under his arm.  
  
"As I said, I can't be sure. We may need to do further testing. I'll have him placed in one of the wards - with your permission, of course." Ken stared at the doctor, before adverting his gaze to the redhead standing next to him. Aya nodded his head, giving the permission the doctor needed for further testing. The doctor nodded, writing a note on the side of the paper clipped to his board, explaining the process of the tests and how they worked.  
  
"We will let know what we find. Have a nice day." The doctor heading back into the office; Ken moved to follow to say goodbye to Youji, but Aya stopped him, placing a hand on the brunet's shoulder. Ken looked at the redhead confusingly, but didn't say anything; Aya started walking towards the exit, Ken stood a moment longer before sighing and followed after the silent swordsman out of the hospital.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Ken and Omi sat down on the chairs outside, while Aya stood leaning against the wall, waiting for the report. They had been lucky that the appointment fell on a holiday, allowing them to close the shop and see Youji. After some time, the main doctor came out, addressing them; Ken and Omi stood to their feet, as the doctor spoke.  
  
"We've done scans and all, but there's really nothing wrong with him - your friend is fine!"  
  
"Then why is he still like this, if there's nothing wrong?!" Ken burst out; his concern over riding his manners. The doctor only sighed, signaling down the hall towards his office.  
  
"I know this is a worry, but he's fine - what he has is a case of pavor nocturnus."  
  
"Night terrors?" Omi looked at the doctor with a questioning look. The man nodded his head, continuing on about the procedure of the tests and how the results all pointed to the same thing - night terrors.  
  
"Yes, I know that!!! I know he's here!! Look, I'm not a foreigner - I was born here!!!" Shouts from down the hall distracted them all, looking ahead they saw a dark-blond woman, dressed in a business skirt and jacket walking down the hall. She stopped in front of the doctor, a menacing glare on her face.  
  
"Are you Doctor Mareo?" Mareo gulped, nodding his head slowly.  
  
"Which room is Kudou, Youji in?" The poor man pointed shakily down the hall, saying it was the forth to last door on the left side of the wing. She thanked him and marched off, passing by Ken, Omi and Aya down the hall with a determined look. Ken and Omi stared after her in shock, looking at each other with confused looks.  
  
"What do think she wants with Youji-kun?"  
  
"More of, how does she know him?" The two stood there and thought, before speed walking down the hall to catch up with the woman. Aya let out a sigh, following after his teammates at a slower pace. Ken caught up with the woman first, cutting her off before she could place her hand on the handle of the door. Dark green eyes glared at him, trying to scare him away, but Ken was too used to glares like that.  
  
"Who are you?" The brunet asked, a hint of anger in his voice; the dark- blond narrowed her eyes more at him. Omi had caught up to the two, but stayed back seeing the obvious dislike floating between the two. Ken waited for her answer, she never opened her mouth; frustrated, Ken held tighter on the door.  
  
"I asked, who..."  
  
"Reina! I'm here to see Youji, now... MOVE!!" She gritted the last word through her teeth, raising her voice to emphasize her impatience. Ken frowned, narrowing his eyes slightly at her; she looked foreign to him, but her name wasn't foreign - at least it didn't sound foreign. He felt a gentle hand on his arm, tugging at it slightly; the brunet looked down to see it was the youngest member holding on to his arm.  
  
"Please Ken-kun... Don't cause a fight, especially here!! Onegai?" The boy looked at him with wide, semi-desperate eyes, worry masking his face. Ken sighed, knowing he couldn't ignore that look, no matter what the circumstances were. Sighing in defeat, he released the door handle, moving aside for Reina to enter; she mumbled thanks and went in.  
  
Ken followed in after her, still inwardly angered by her actions earlier; she didn't seem to care. She stepped in the room, searching with her eyes till she found who she was looking, sitting upright on the bed at the very end of the room.  
  
"Youji!" She called out, her voice and face changing expression; Youji looked from the window to the voice, seeing the woman standing there with a worried look. He felt tears form in his eyes, trying to reach out for her, but careful not to fall out of the bed.  
  
"O-nee-chan!!" Ken's eyes widen in surprise at how the older man addressed the woman.  
  
// O-nee-chan?! //  
  
Reina practically ran to the end of the room, cradling her brother in her arms. Youji wrapped his arms around her waist, and began crying, speaking in between sobs. Reina gently rested her chin on top of his head, slowly rocking him back and forth, letting him cry in her chest.  
  
"Shh - it's okay. O-nee-chan's here! I won't let her get you, shh. It's okay, it's alright. I'm here now..." The others just watched, simply dumbfounded at the scene in front of them.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
"You're... Youji-kun's sister??" The dark-hair blond nodded, a less angered look on her face. They had moved outside the room where Youji was kept, standing right in front of the door.  
  
"My name is Reina, Kudou... Sorry for my behavior, it's just that... I've been stressed lately and forgotten my manners." She sighed running a hand through her hair in a similar fashion Youji does when he felt frustrated. She explained to them about how Youji had called her a few nights back and how she was able to excuse herself from to see him here in Japan.  
  
"Reina-san, where did you come from?" Omi asked, trying hard not to stare with a slight amazement on how close the two looked alike.  
  
"I came from the States; I'd moved there to look for business a while back." The three men could only nod. Reina sighed again, leaning her forearm against the wall gazing down at the floor. A long silence passed between them; no one dare speak to break it.  
  
"Reina-san... what happened to Youji before?" Aya asked, breaking the heavy silence that lingered between the four of them. Reina didn't answer; the redhead noticed her clutch her hand into a fist.  
  
"Youji - never was a heavy sleeper. That's why it happens..." The three blinked at her, unable to understand how the eldest member's sleeping habit tied into the so called 'night terrors' he was experiencing. The dark-blond turned around to face them.  
  
"You see, I..." She paused, staring passed her brother's co-workers, eyeing someone just standing behind them. Her eyes narrowed, anger forming quickly on her face; she marched towards Ken and Aya. Ken panicked, wondering what he had done now, but she passed by him and Aya, stopping in front of someone very familiar. Ken's eyes widened as the recognition hit him.  
  
"You!!" Reina growled out, a most deadly and menacing glare on her face; the man she was standing in front of stared at her with a slightly nervous look.  
  
"Ms. Reina..."  
  
"Surprised to see me, Mr. Crawford!! And that Ms. Kudou to you!!" Crawford swallowed, not daring to speak to her.  
  
"Ano, Reina-san? You know him?" Omi came up to her side, a worried look on his face. It shouldn't be a surprise that one of their enemies should be popping up once in a while, but to have a person who knew nothing about them know an enemy - was a different story. Reina nodded her head, still keeping a deathly glare directed at the Schwarz's leader.  
  
"Crawford is an overseas business partner - soon to be ex-partner if doesn't start getting things to me on time!!"  
  
"I've been busy! I haven't had time to write up the report!!" Crawford tried to use his height to his advantage, towering over the slightly shorter woman; but Reina merely stared at him, arms across her chest.  
  
"What the hell is taking up your time?!"  
  
"I'm afraid that's something I can't quite tell you that, Ms. Kudou!!" He added a hint of sarcasm on her name. Reina's temper flared; uncrossing her arms she raised a hand up about to bring it down when a scream down the hall distracted them. Reina spun around on her heels, seeing that she had moved fairly faraway from the room where her brother was.  
  
"Otooto!!" Reina ran down the hall, following after Ken, Omi and Aya who all had already gotten a head start. Crawford blinked as he watched Reina race down the hall; the curiosity getting the better of him, he followed after them, carefully peering into the room seeing Reina holding who looked to be Balinese from Weiss in her arms.  
  
"What happened?!" Ken yelled at the nurse unintentionally, frightening the woman only a little bit.  
  
"I don't know! I noticed he fell asleep so I closed the curtains to darken the room! I didn't think it would bother him, I didn't... gomen nasai!" Ken looked at the nurse, then to Omi, who looked over to Reina. The older woman looked between the two, holding her sobbing brother in her arms, one hand gently running through his hair. Reina looked down at Youji's arm, eyeing semi-deep scratches; the blond spoke in between sobs.  
  
"Please, don't let them put out the lights!! The lights should never be off... never!!"  
  
"Shh, it's okay. I promise they won't turn the lights off, I promise. Shh, it's okay - she gone now. Shh..." Youji continued on crying, while Reina gently rocked him, hand running through his hair; the other assassins watched unsure of what to do and feeling - a little helpless.  
  
Crawford stood at the door, taking in the whole scene and tried to make sense of it. All four Weiss members in a hospital, one apparently disoriented, being cradled by an overseas partner who had called the ill member brother. Crawford only stood there, waiting for the trauma to pass.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Yeah!! Don't worry Youji-chan! Reina-nechan is here!!! Yeah... anyways, next chapt will explain a little of what happened to Youji and a little history on why it happens and stuff! So if you've seen the movie - you'll know what the history is! P  
  
Anyways - some thanks:  
  
Misura: Hi!! Arigatou gozaimaisu!! Yes, I'm making Youji such a child in this, but... I guess I need to if Reina is going to comfort him (and maybe someone else! ^^) Arigato for reviewing!!  
  
Anna Hibiki: *glomp* arigato!! Thank you for reviewing! ^_^ And I'm still waiting on some of your stories! *waits patiently for Patience and others...* 


	7. Chapter 7: The Story Of Matilda

Yoho~! I'm back!! Sorry if it took me a while to get this up, but I did it!!! *Yay*  
  
Anyways, know you've guys been waiting, so let's start!!  
  
Warnings: ... what warning?  
  
Pairings: Working on it!!  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
"So Youji is your brother?" Reina looked at Crawford with a 'you-should- know' expression on her face.  
  
"Don't sound so surprise - you knew I had a younger brother!"  
  
"I know; I just didn't think it was... him!" The last word held on a bit longer, indicating a strong feeling. Reina noticed, ever since they've all stepped out of the room, the tension that hung in between her brother's three friends and Crawford. She looked between them with her eyes, seeing the thin hate that seemed to linger in the air.  
  
"Why do I get the feeling you guys aren't on good terms?" She cocked her head to the side, a narrow look on her face.  
  
"Maybe because we aren't! What are you doing here?!" Ken spat out, glaring at the dark-haired man standing across from them. Reina turned to look at Crawford, a questioning look on her.  
  
"Yes, why are you here Mr. Crawford?"  
  
"I was here for a checkup - and to be honest, I wasn't expecting to see you, or you Ms. Kudou, here..." The dark-blond glared at him for a only a moment, before staring down at the floor holding her arms across her chest. Omi came up to her, carefully leaning over to see the expression on Reina's face.  
  
"Reina-san, daijoubu ka?"  
  
"Mm - daijoubu desu. I think it is time for the truth to be told..." All four look at her with slight confusion, before the three Weiss members understood what she meant.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
The five had moved to a different area to sit down, since it was a long story. Crawford had joined in out of pure curiosity, not to use this problem as an advantage; he received quite a few glares from Aya and Ken when he asked to listen in as well. Reina leaned her elbows on the table, closing her eyes in deep thought.  
  
"I should probably start with a little history, before I tell what happened... Over 100 years ago, there was a small village - and in that village lived a woman named Matilda Dickinson and she was adored by the children..." Reina placed her hands down on the table, still keeping her eyes closed as she continued on.  
  
"Every time a child lost a tooth, they would go to her and in return receive a gold coin, earning her the name 'tooth fairy'. However, life was unfair to Matilda - a fire broke out in her house, half of her face was burned." She paused for a breath, thinking through the rest of the story. The others sat patiently, waiting for her to continue on with the history. Reina continued on after a few minutes.  
  
"Her scarred face became sensitive to the sun - she could only go out at night and wore a white, porcelain mask. One day, two children didn't return home - the villagers blamed Matilda and dragged her from her home to the square... where they hung her." Omi made a small noise, sliding to the edge of his seat; Reina stopped hearing the 'eep' from the young blond. She looked over to him with an apologetic expression; Omi nodded his head, sitting back on his seat properly. Reina let out a sigh and continued on.  
  
"They pulled her mask off, exposing her distorted face to the light. With her dying breath, she placed a curse on the village. The next day, the two children were found unharmed and safe - the village buried their guilt with Matilda's body..." All four pairs of eyes stared intently at the *older woman, waiting for what was to come next.  
  
"They say though, that the last tooth a child loses, she appears seeking out her curse: 'What I have taken in kindness... I shall take forever in revenge!'" Reina leaned back in her, finally opening her eyes since she started the story. She looked around the room, noticing the tense expression on everyone's face - including, surprisingly, Crawford's. A silence passed between for what seemed an eternity.  
  
"Ano - Reina-san, how does the myth of the tooth fairy tie in with Youji?" Ken broke the silence, shaking off his shocked expression.  
  
"It's not a myth, Ken-san. That did happen, and Youji had seen her ghost... now she will kill him as part of her revenge!!"  
  
"What I don't understand is why though? Why him?" Reina looked over to Crawford with a slightly surprised look; she had known him well enough to know he rarely asked questions and that he seemed to know things.  
  
"When you've lost a tooth, haven't your parents ever told you to put it under your pillow and not to peek when she comes?" All four nodded their heads. "Why do you think that is?"  
  
They all looked blankly at her, before glancing at each other.  
  
"You don't get a token if you look at her, then!" Aya answered, seeing as no one else was going to say anything. Reina let out a light grunt, staring off in a different direction.  
  
"That's the children's version... The reason why you shouldn't look at her is because she'll kill you!!" The four men just blinked at her; Crawford leaned one arm on the table, recovering faster then the three Weiss members.  
  
"That's stretching it a bit... I mean, you can't just..."  
  
"She killed our mother!!" Reina snapped at him, her expression pulling between anger and desperation. Crawford held back, shocked by the mix of emotions the older woman was suddenly showing. Reina buried her face in her hands, trying to force back her tears; Omi, being the closest, carefully reached a hand out to gently place it on her shoulder. Surprisingly, she didn't shake it off.  
  
"Youji never was a heavy sleeper... that's why... that's why it happens..."  
  
** "O-nee-chan... O-nee-chan? O-nee-chan!!" Youji gently shook his sister's shoulders till she woke up, batting at his hand. She looked at him with a slight glare, grumbling a little at being disturbed.  
  
"What is it? And what time is it?" The boy held the flashlight tightly in his hands, making sure he had some of the light shining on his sister.  
  
"O-nee-chan, I... I have to go to the washroom..." He lied, but he was never good at it and hoped the older girl would believe him in her tired state. Reina sat up in her bed, scratching the back of her head.  
  
"You're old enough! And you know where it is!"  
  
"But I'm scared!! I don't want to go down there by myself!!!" The light blond bit his lower lip, his hands tighten around the object he was holding; Reina ran a hand upwards through her head, letting out a frustrated sigh. She crawled out of bed, taking her brother by the hand and led him down the hall towards the bathroom. She turned the light on and gently shoved him towards the toilet.  
  
"Just be quick about it - I'm really tired and I have practices tomorrow!" She turned her back on him, to give him a little privacy. Youji only looked at it, knowing he didn't have to really go - it was only an excuse to get out of his room. After a few minutes had passed, Reina spoke, slowly turning her head around.  
  
"Are you going to go or not! If not, then why did you drag me in here?!" Youji dropped the flashlight, the plastic clashing with the ceramic tiles. He let himself drop to the floor, huddling into a little ball; Reina turned around and went over to him, firmly tugging on his arm to get up, but the lighter blond shook his head, refusing to budge.  
  
After a few minutes, their mother came in through the door.  
  
"What's wrong, Reina?"  
  
"Youji said he needed to go the bathroom, so we went and now he won't go back in to our room!" The younger blond had himself wrapped tightly into a ball, face buried in his knees. The mother knelt down near Youji, gently running a hand through his hair getting him to look up at her.  
  
"What's the matter, Youji?"  
  
"Mama, something is the room and it wants to get me!" Reina sat cross- legged on the bathroom floor next to her brother, hands resting on her legs. She sighed and pouted at her little brother.  
  
"There's nothing in there! I keep telling you that! You're being such a baby!!"  
  
"Reina, hush!" The dark-haired woman turned to her with a slight stern look; the darker blond looked down to the tiled floor, biting her lower lip. The mother turned back to Youji, standing up to her feet, she signaled the two to follow her; she headed down the hall towards their room. Youji stood at the door, with Reina standing behind him, hand on his shoulder.  
  
// Stay in the light... //  
  
Their mother got closer to the room, and farther from the light of the bathroom; she looked back briefly to see the two were still standing there.  
  
// Please... stay in the light! //  
  
Finally, she reached the door to their room, looking inside to see nothing out of the ordinary. She turned back to them, stepping into the room fully. Youji closed his eyes, repeated in a whisper what he was thinking; Reina looked down at him, then looked back up to their mother.  
  
"See, there's nothing to fear - no ones here."  
  
"MAMA! STAY IN THE LIGHT!!" He yelled, seeing the shadow move behind the woman.  
  
"O-kaasan, behind you!!" The mother looked behind to face the shadow, letting out a scream that was quickly cut off when she was grabbed. Not sparing another moment, Reina pulled Youji back into the lit bathroom, shutting the door tight. **  
  
"We moved after that... Youji was never the same after that happened..." Reina managed to get out in between sobs, her hand over her mouth. Omi had attempted to try sooth her with a hand movement, but it felt too uncomfortable for both of them, so he just let his hand rest on her shoulder. Reina slowly halted her tears, reducing them to small sniffles; regaining what little she had left of her posture, she looked to her brother's friends.  
  
"You should go check on Youji... I'm afraid I... I'm not in the right condition to see him quite yet..." Ken nodded, standing to his feet; Omi let his hand slid off her shoulder, getting up to his own to follow Ken and Aya out the room and to where Youji was. Crawford stayed behind, feeling that his overseas partner might need some company. He opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him.  
  
"You don't have to stay! You have a report that was due in to me quite a while ago... and since you have the time now!" Crawford understood the hint, but he ignored it and just sat there with Reina. After a couple of minutes had past, Reina stood up to her feet, letting out a sigh.  
  
"I should probably look into a hotel - since I'll staying here for a while." She was about to leave, when Crawford spoke up, standing to his own feet.  
  
"Ms. Kudou... how do you know it's the fairy who is after Youji and not just night terrors?" Crawford watched her back, waiting for a turn or movement from the older woman; the dark-blonde stood there, staring at the space in front of her.  
  
"Because... I have no other reason why he acts the way he does..." She turned to face him, for once, without an anger expression or a glare. He walked towards her, keeping a bit of distance between them in case of a wild mood-swing.  
  
"I didn't know how else to explain! His self-inflicted injuries were caused by her, his fear of the dark was cause by her... everything that changed him was caused by her! I didn't know what else to believe in, I just..." Reina buried her face in her hand again, her tears spilling from her dark green eyes. Crawford cautiously reached a hand out, knowing her well enough for her mood-swings, but not her emotions. Before he had touched her, Reina let her hand drop, moving towards him a little, leaning her head against his chest.  
  
"Ms. Kudou!?" Crawford tense a little, completely shocked by the unexpected action. Her shoulders shook slightly as she cried, the sounds becoming audible; unsure whether it was right or not, Crawford wrapped his arms around her, letting out a sigh as he stared up at the ceiling.  
  
// This is going to be a long day! //  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
*Just a note... Reina is older then Crawford by one year... soooo that make her - 28 years old!! ^__^ 7 years difference between her and Youji!!  
  
Anyways, some thank yous!!  
  
Misura: Arigatou!!! *hugs* Don't worry... I just had Crawford come for a checkup and of course get in trouble with Reina in the beginning, but anyways... thank you for reviewing me!! ^_^  
  
Anna Hibiki: Arigatou gozaimasu!!! Glad you are liking!! And yes, poor Youji-chan! ;_; I'm so mean to him (even though I like him too). His sister is also going through a lot pain seeing him like this. *Sniffle* Arigatou!!! (Still waiting on Patient and other stories!!)  
  
Snowshoe Koneko: Arigatou!!! *glomps* Sorry if I'm scaring you a bit, but this only a small bit of what's going to happen next... hope you have something cuddle in case.  
  
Well... thank you minna-san!! Hope to see you next time!! And watch out, cause going to start coming after them!!  
  
Hikari!! ^_^ (Hikari12) 


	8. Chapter 8: Night In The Hospital

Yo-ho!!! Minna-san!!! First of... GOMEN NASAI!!!! This is really, really, really, REALLY short!!! I'm having trouble with the plot a bit, and when I have trouble... I start losing detail! Sorry for those of you who were expecting a chase or an appearance from the fairy - next chapt, I promise!!!  
  
Warnings: Um... don't have any... yet!  
  
Pairings: Same as the warning!  
  
Rating: I actually know this!! PG-13!!  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Ken hung up the phone, a slightly frustrated sigh escaping his mouth. He'd just finished explaining to Omi that he and Reina were going to spend the night at the hospital, just to keep on eye on Youji. It had taken them a while, but the two had managed to receive the permission to stay. Ken couldn't help but snicker, remembering the argument that had gone on; Reina, being a businesswoman, had great negotiation skills and had somehow conned Doctor Mareo into letting them stay.  
  
// Either that, or it was her glare that got us in... //  
  
He had to admit, the older woman's glare was practically un-parallel - he couldn't even remember Aya having a glare like the ones she can muster up. Ken smiled to himself - Youji had an interesting sister to grow up with, and a very protective one at that.  
  
// Youji must be glad to have a sister like that... //  
  
The brunet walked down the now empty hallway, his footsteps echoing lightly off the walls. He paused, looking out the row of windows to his right; the sun had just disappeared below the horizon, a dark purple tint still visible on the landscape. Ken shivered slightly, facing away from the window and heading down towards where the older man was staying.  
  
// Youji's fear must be contagious - I'm beginning to feel nervous!! And Reina-san's story doesn't help!! //  
  
Ken reached the door, hand on the knob; he quickly recovered himself from the slight fear, before turning the knob and stepped inside. He narrowed his eyes a bit, seeing that a certain dark-hair person was still there, seated next to Reina, an arm around her shoulder.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Reina sat down on one of the chairs nearer to Youji's bed, arms wrapped around herself; she tried to force her tears back, not wanting to show her pain in front of her brother - but a few tears escaped. Crawford had placed a gently arm around the older woman's shoulder, not saying anything or taking action, just simply holding her around the shoulder as she cried.  
  
Youji laid down on the bed, able to tilt his head far enough and comfortable to get a relatively good view of his sister and Crawford. Oddly, he didn't feel enraged or threatened that his worst enemy was touching his sister, he felt - glad. Glad that Reina was beginning to show her feelings again; it wasn't long after they had moved that she had changed quite drastically. The darker-blonde didn't smile as much as before and she had rarely ever cried or ever shown fear.  
  
Youji smiled to himself, strangely glad that Crawford was there to help comfort her; he, himself was in no condition to so - but then, Reina wouldn't be here right now, crying about how - she had ruined almost everything and is doing it again. He doubted if Ken or the others could've helped, they didn't know her that well and frankly - Reina didn't handle being touched by strangers very well. However Crawford - there were times before they had lost contact time, she had mentioned about an overseas partner who was annoying her. Youji was pleased that the same annoying partner was here to help her now.  
  
The door opening directed his attention, seeing Ken standing there with a slight glare on his face. Youji only watched, knowing that the younger man would have different opinions on the situation. Crawford looked up at the brunet, an expressionless look on his face - the two stared at each other for several minutes.  
  
"Something wrong, Hidaka?"  
  
"Shouldn't you be going soon?! It's a little past visiting hours now!!" Ken tried to keep his voice sounding natural, but it came out more forced then he'd wished. Crawford gave the brunet a glare of his own, briefly turning his head back to face Reina; she had managed to stop her tears and was just sniffling now.  
  
"You better go. I don't think Dr. Mareo will be happy with three people staying the night!" The younger man hummed his response, slowly removing his arm from her shoulder and stood to his feet to leave. He and Ken exchanged glares when he reached the door, exiting with a slight hmpf.  
  
Ken shut the door the minute Crawford had stepped out of the room, making sure it was locked tight. Reina looked over to her brother, seeing he was awake and sitting up right on the bed. They both faced each other, her dark green meeting with his lighter green.  
  
A flicking light bulb nearby caught all of their attention; Youji made a small noise at the degree difference of the dark and light, his hands tightening around the blanket. Ken made his way over to the flickering light, reaching into the lamp to twist the bulb in tighter, ceasing the flickering. Reina stood to her feet, going over to the bed, leaning over to gently give Youji a sisterly kiss on the forehead.  
  
"It's late Youji. You should rest..."  
  
"Demo, O-nee-chan!! I'm scared!" Youji pulled the blanket up to his face, not only acting like a child, but also looking like one. Reina smiled tenderly, gently pushing away stray strands of light blond locks from his face.  
  
"It's okay - Ken-san and I are here... We'll make sure the light stays on!"  
  
"Hai! We have flashlights too, just in case Youji!" Ken commented, coming up on the other side of the bed. Youji smiled timidly, letting himself lie back down on the mattress, allowing his sister to help tuck him in. The dark blonde gently combed a hand through his hair one last time.  
  
"Oyasumi, Otooto!" Youji smiled up at her, enjoying the feel of her delicate, yet strong hand brushing light against his scalp. He felt another hand on his shoulder; he looked up at Ken.  
  
"Try to get some sleep, okay Yo-tan!" The eldest member nodded his head, slowly closing his eyes to allow the sensation of sleep gradually take over his body. Quietly and carefully, Reina and Ken went about to set up their sleeping quarters for the night, before settling themselves down for the night.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
WAII!! GOMEN NASAI!!! (Again) For the short chapt!!! I promise next time shall be longer!!!  
  
Arigatou for reading though!! (even if this could be a waste of your time. -_-")  
  
See you soon! (I hope! )  
  
Hikari!! ^_^ (Hikari12) 


	9. Chapter 9: Peace Before The Storm

YO-HO!!! Minna-san!! Sorry it took me a while to update, but I've been busy and having fun with friends so... yeah!  
  
Anyways, there are so many ppl to thank, but I think my time here is limited so, I'll give thanks down below!  
  
Warnings: Possible (but probably light) shounen-ai hints?  
  
Pairings: Um... well... leaning towards Ken and Youji... other possible pairing: Crawford and Reina. (Yeah, it's a straight couple, but yeesh... even I need a break too!!)  
  
Ratings: PG-13  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Reina walked around the area, searching for a take-away restaurant for herself and Ken for lunch. She asked if she could go since it's been a while since she was in Japan; she read through the names of each restaurant or café she passed, sometimes having to stop to ask someone what the name was if she couldn't understand or read the character.  
  
// Has it really been that long?? //  
  
The dark-blonde walked down to the end of the block, before deciding on actually choosing a place rather then stare at one. She let out a worry sigh, before turning back around to pick out a place for lunch. At the same time she bumped into someone, having her mind somewhere else at the time.  
  
"Ah!! Gomen nasai!!" She looked up at the person she'd bumped into; pausing in her speech as she slowly recognized the man.  
  
"It's alright, Ms. Kudou... It was my fault." Reina blinked at Crawford, making a small noise in response, turning her head to face away from him. The two just stood there in the middle of the sidewalk, neither saying a word to each other; it wasn't until someone had accidentally rushed past Reina, literally knocking her down that broke the silence. Reina yelped as she fell forward; Crawford moved quickly to catch her in his arms, gently holding her against his chest.  
  
"Gomen nasai!!" The person yelled over their shoulder, still running to wherever they were going. Reina didn't hear them, still startled from the fall; her breathing was slightly heavy, her pulse had quickened just a bit. Her breathing and pulse slowly returned to normal, recovering from the initial shock; she realized then that Crawford was holding her still, the side of her head lightly resting against his chest. Reina didn't move, she didn't want to move oddly - she could hear his heart beat in her ear, feeling the light thud against her face. She closed her eyes, feeling herself relax in the younger man's arms.  
  
"...Ms. Kudou?" Crawford looked down at the shorter woman in his arms, seeing that she had made no effort to remove herself from him; in fact, if quite possible, she seemed to be content on just staying there. Crawford felt a lump in his throat when he tried to swallow, his pulse beginning to increase in speed; he began to feel rather - uncomfortable holding her, yet he didn't seem to want to let her go.  
  
"... Reina...?" Crawford started, knowing he would be risking it by calling her by her first name; she didn't answer.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Ken stood at the window of the room, the sun's rays shining through the open blinds; he looked out through between one of the blinds, seeing a small garden with a tiny pond outside. Beyond that tiny garden was the wall of the hospital; he noticed below some of the other patients, mainly younger children, outside with nurses playing in the grass.  
  
He let out a sigh, turning away from the window to gaze at the blond asleep on the bed, just little way behind him. Youji was lying on his back, face turned away from the window, from the bright sunlight. Ken sighed again, silently going over to the other side of the bed, to catch a glimpse at the sleeping blond's face. He sat down on a stool nearby, moving it a little closer - just enough for him to reach out and lightly touch Youji's face. The brunet studied Youji's features, his face seeming so peaceful, so innocent it made the blond look more like a boy then a grown man. Ken smiled tenderly, carefully pushing back stray strands of light blond hair away from the older man's face, tucking it gently behind his ear. Youji made a small noise, moving his head just a little; Ken pulled back, afraid that he'd might have awaken the man, but he was still asleep.  
  
// That was close. //  
  
Ken let out his breath in relief; with the lack of sleep Youji has been getting, it was best to see the blond got as much when possible. The brunet smiled, standing to his feet; he looked down at his watch, seeing it was now ten minutes to one and Reina had not come back with lunch yet. Ken looked to the close door.  
  
// Strange... Reina-san shouldn't be gone for that long! There are only so many places in this area... //  
  
He heard his stomach begin to growl at him, since he just realized that Reina had not return with lunch. Ken scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to do; Youji was still asleep and if he left no one would be there if some thing happened. However, he couldn't let himself starve here waiting for the blond's sister to come back, and he knew hospital food wasn't really classified as 'food' so to say. The brunet looked to Youji sleeping on the bed, letting out a sigh; as hungry as he was - he couldn't leave the man alone.  
  
Ken let himself drop into the chair by the window, staring up at the ceiling, trying to ignore his complaining stomach. He closed his eyes, trying to think of things to keep his mind off food; his eyes snapped open, realizing he didn't have to leave Youji to get lunch.  
  
He jumped up to his feet, quickly as he could, rushed out the room and found a phone somewhere down the hall. He hastily dialed number, listening to the ring tone as he waited for someone to pick up.  
  
"Moshi-moshi?"  
  
"Hai, Omi? Do you think you and Aya can come over for lunch?"  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Reina walked down the hallway, Crawford following by her side; it was about 1:36 and the dark-blonde was fairly sure that Ken was dying from hungry by now.  
  
"Sorry if I distracted you from your task." Crawford apologized; Reina shook her head.  
  
"It's alright... I - I let myself get off task..." He nodded, making a low noise in response. The two walked silently the rest of the way, till they reached the door where Reina's brother was staying. Crawford placed his hand on the door handle before Reina could touch it, getting her to look up at him. Amber-brown eyes stared down on her intensely.  
  
"Ms. Kudou... Reina? I - I actually saw you walking down the street..." The dark-blonde blink, trying to pull back pieces from when they had bumped into each other back on the sidewalk.  
  
"I was just going to tap you on the shoulder, but... you turned around and I didn't expect that. Which is why we bumped into each other - literally." Reina nodded, still keeping eye contact with the taller man; but somehow she felt a tightness in her chest under his eyes.  
  
"When you fell - I expected that... however, I didn't expect you to..." Crawford paused, unable to force the rest of the sentence out; Reina understood though, she understood what he was trying to say, how she didn't move away from his arms, how he didn't release her or politely shoved her away. She understood how it went, but what she didn't understand is why it had went and why they - specifically her - didn't yell at each other.  
  
Dark green clashed with the amber-brown; Crawford slide his hand off the handle, raising it almost perpendicular to his body on the door; Reina stood there in front of him, fingers wrapped tightly around the take-away bag in her hands. Crawford leaned in slowly to her face, Reina felt her breath hitch, her heart beginning to beat faster.  
  
// He's not... //  
  
Before Reina could finish her thoughts, the door they were standing outside of opened, taking them both by surprise and knocking them both to the floor.  
  
"Itai!!" Reina yelped, gently rubbing the shoulder that had gotten hit by the door; Crawford cursed silently, one for the pain in his arm and two for the interruption on how close he had gotten to Reina.  
  
"Ah!! Gomen nasai!!" Omi exclaimed, eyeing the two on the floor, rubbing the pain in their arms. Aya came up behind the younger blond, moving past him after surveying the situation; he moved to help Reina to her feet, carefully taking her by the arm and slowly pulled her up. She thanked him, picking up the bags with the food in them, handing them to Omi, who took it inside to give to Ken or the now awake Youji.  
  
Reina dust off her clothes, while Crawford carefully stood to his feet, still holding on to his left arm that was stinging with pain. He hoped it was just from the pressure of being pushed that caused the pain and that it wasn't broken. He let out sigh, before looking over to where Aya was glaring at him, partially standing in front of Reina; Crawford narrowed his eyes at the redhead, before turning around and headed down the hallway to exit.  
  
"Daijoubu ka?" Aya asked, turning around to face the older woman. Reina nodded her head, walking inside the room to see her brother up and talking, sitting up right on the bed. Youji stopped, turning his head to face his sister.  
  
"O-nee-chan!" Reina smiled at how childishly he had said it, making her way to the stool and seated herself down. Youji held up the bag with the food she had brought, taking the containers out of the bag and handed one to the darker blonde; Reina took opening the lid, breaking apart the wooden chopsticks and began eating. She felt one of the guys place a hand on her shoulder; she looked up at the owner, seeing it was Ken.  
  
"Ano... Reina-san? Omi kind of begged me to help out with the afternoon rush at the shop..."  
  
"And so?" The dark blonde asked, setting her chopsticks down on the open container. Ken gave her a nervous look, shrugging his shoulders slightly.  
  
"Well, I want to help out, but - I'm not sure if you and Youji will be alright..."  
  
"Daijoubu Ken! It's day. I feel safer in the day." Youji spoke up; Ken glanced at the older man, giving him an expression that silently questioned the response. Youji nodded his head, repeating that he and his sister would be fine for the next few hours.  
  
"Alright... if you say so, Youji." With that, Ken left with Omi and Aya for the shop. After the door closed, Reina and Youji sat in silence for a while eating on the take-away; Youji finished off more then half of what was in the container, setting it aside on the bed before smiling at his sister. Reina looked at him questioningly, finishing what food she had in her mouth before setting down her chopsticks.  
  
"Something wrong, Youji?"  
  
"You - You came here with Crawford, didn't you?" He asked; it didn't sound offense or harsh tone, more of a teasing or accusation tone. Reina felt a small smile appear on her mouth to the question, tilting her head down to the floor.  
  
"Well... he actually came here with me. We bumped into each other when I was looking for a place for lunch." Youji smiled wider, noting the slight nervousness in his sister's voice.  
  
"You two didn't... -do- anything, did you?"  
  
"Youji!!" Reina looked up at him with a slight blush on her face, remembering how she had let herself stay in the dark-haired man's arms and what had almost happened outside not too long ago. Youji snickered; he made it a thing to tease his sister about boyfriends or friends who were guys before - all THAT had happened. Reina tried to control her posture, forcing the blush to go away.  
  
"Well... I think, I'm not sure though, Crawford wanted to kiss me..." Youji's smile became a little more serious, knowing this was something very deep for Reina.  
  
"Then - what happened?"  
  
"He - we got knocked over by the door... Omi-san had opened it and, well." The lighter blond nodded, forming a vague idea of what might have happened in the situation. Reina sighed, not feeling very hungry any more; she could feel tears beginning to form in her dark green eyes, but she managed to force them back. She couldn't afford to breakdown now. Youji crawled out of the bed, standing up in front of her, tenderly embracing her in his arms; Reina stared at him in surprised, the container in one hand out to the side.  
  
"O-nee-chan!!!" Reina could hear the frighten boy she heard 15 years ago, just after the fairy had striked. She placed the container on a side table, reaching her arms up and around Youji's back as her tears came. The sounds soon became audible as she buried her face into her brother's shoulder.  
  
Youji held on tight to her, unable to keep his own tears from spilling; the two siblings cried on each others shoulder, just wishing for once for something normal.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Ooo!! We're getting kind of close to the chase!! And the end of "Darkness Falls"!! ^^  
  
Anyways, some thanks!!  
  
~ Minmay: Arigatou gozaimasu!! I like to torture Youji waaaayyy too much!! Must be a curse of favoritism. Anyways, I always like to view Youji as someone who breaks down easily and becomes like a child at times, but anyways... Arigatou for reviewing!! ~ Yoru: Arigatou!! Glad that you like it! ^^ And I'm working on getting Koneko going; has a similar childish- like Youji, just happier! ~ Anna Hibiki: Arigatou gozaimasu!!!! Yes, last chapt was short, but I made up for it with a longer chapt this time!!! *grins* Thank you for reviewing!! (Still waiting for Patient and other fics...) ~ Misura: Arigatou!!! It is always nice to have silence before the storm... in this case, safety before the chase! *eep*  
  
Gahh!! Too many to thank! *Sobs* But thanks to everyone!!! You are all very, very helpful!!  
  
Pls Review and stay tune for more soon! (Hopefully)  
  
Hikari!! ^_^ (Hikari12) 


	10. Chapter 10: Friendship Bonds and Loves A...

Yoho! Minna-san!!! Gomen nasai!! I took too long to update!!! *Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!* *Dizzy*  
  
Anyways... sorry for the late update... one, I blame myself for not getting my lazy self moving - two, I blame my internet for having spastic connections!! ie. working... not working a min later... working a sec after, not working a sec after... working for 5 mins... not working forever!!!  
  
Anyways... ranting!  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Warnings: Light shounen-ai  
  
Pairings: Ken + Youji, Crawford + Reina (Can't resist... they make an interesting couple!)  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
It was well past early evening by the time Ken had managed to get back to the hospital. He hadn't expected the shop to be so busy or the fact that the hospital was fairly faraway from them. He hadn't helped clean up the shop after they had managed to clear out the crowds.  
  
// I probably should call and tell Omi I'm sorry for not helping! No point trying to apologize to Aya... //  
  
Ken walked down the hall as quickly as he could without causing too much trouble. He slowed down a little when he got closer to Youji's room, then paused all together when he noticed Doctor Mareo walking out of his office, Reina following behind him, followed by - the last person he'd hoped to ever see. The brunet narrowed his eyes, seeing Crawford with his arm around Reina's shoulder, talking to Mareo; Ken marched up to them, desperately trying to suppress his hate.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Are you sure she'll be alright?" Crawford asked, still holding the crying woman around the shoulder. Mareo nodded his head.  
  
"It's just a breakdown, nothing too serious - considering the conditions she has to bear with." Mareo explained; Reina quickly wiped away her tears, slowly regaining her composure as much as she could. Crawford tightened his hold around her shoulder, his free hand reaching to hold hers.  
  
"I'm fine Mr. Crawford... really..." Crawford nodded, but couldn't help but feel a slight disappointment at how she was still addressing him. He saw something, then looked down the hall to see the somewhat angered Ken marching towards them. The brunet stopped in front of the three.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"You're forgetting I can see the future! I saw Reina having a breakdown, so I came here to help her!!" Ken glared at the answer, about to open his mouth when Reina cut him off.  
  
"Ken-san, it is true that I had a breakdown... I'm sorry - I guess... I guess I wasn't fine after all..." Ken paused, staring at the older woman; Mareo stepped up, clearing his throat to grab there attention to discuss on a different matter. The three turned their heads to him.  
  
"Well, since we've cleared up that matter... Reina-san, Ken-san - I need to discuss Youji-san conditions..."  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Youji laid asleep on his side, the light above the bed shining over the upper half of his body; his faint mind replaying his sister's tears, how he had fallen asleep listening to them. Her tears in his dreams distracted him from the second light just across the room.  
  
It flickered, shining on half the bed, then leaving it shadows, shining then shadows, till it finally burned out - leaving half of the bed in shadows. A rasp, whisper sounded through the dark; Youji made a small noise in his sleep, turning onto his back, arm out to the side and face towards the dark. He heard a low growl through his dreams, feeling a cold wind against him; jade green eyes flew open, taking in a sharp breath.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
"... if Youji-san's condition worsen, then there will be..."  
  
"KKYYYAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Reina turned her head down towards the hall, recognizing the scream.  
  
// Youji! //  
  
She pulled herself away from Crawford's hold, taking her hand back from his, racing down the hall to where Youji was sleeping. Ken and Crawford only looked at each other briefly, before running after her.  
  
Reina slowed her pace as she entered through the open door, searching the room frantically with her eyes before her attention went to a nurse knocking on the bathroom door.  
  
"Youji-san? Youji-san, please!!" Reina rushed over to the locked door, gently moving the woman out of the way. She jigged the handle, calling out to her brother on the other side.  
  
"Youji! Youji, come on open up!! It's me, O-nee-chan!!" She received no answer; Crawford and Ken appeared through the door, eyeing the darker blonde trying to break the door down with her shoulder. Ken walked over to Reina, trying to help her with the door, Crawford searched around the wall, spying a fire extinguisher in the corner. He picked it up, going to hand it over to Ken, but Reina grabbed it first; she began to pound at the handle with the object, till it broke off and the door opened.  
  
"Youji!!" She bursted through, finding the lighter blond in the corner, leaning against the wall with his knees close to his chest; he was facing the floor, eyes wide in fear. Youji's left arm laid limp on the white tiles, blood spilling from a fairly large wound on the upper part. Reina carefully cradled him in her arms, not caring if her clothes were stained by the blood.  
  
"... Youji..." Ken and Crawford stood in the door; the same nurse came up behind them, eyeing the situation, before rushing off to retrieve medic help. Reina held Youji tight, tears beginning to fall from her eyes, as she gently rocked him back and forth; a hand tenderly holding his head against her chest.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
"As I had feared - your friend's case has gone beyond our help." Mareo explained; Ken held his arms around him, glancing over his shoulders at the older man asleep and arm bandaged on the bed. Crawford looked behind him as well, eyeing the blond, but focusing more on Reina; who was sitting on one of the chairs by the windows, head face down to the floor.  
  
"Can you explain Youji's wound, though?" Ken asked, turning back to face the doctor. The dark-haired man nodded his head.  
  
"You see, when a person loses sleep - they are unable to identify reality and dream; thus sometimes they believe that their dreams are real and will cause self-inflicted injuries. This condition tends to lead to a slight psychotic-behavior." Ken shook his head clear, trying to capture all the information the doctor was giving him; Crawford merely nodded. Mareo cleared his throat, before continuing on.  
  
"Since Youji-san is experiencing there - night terrors, it is possible we will be seeing more incidents like this."  
  
"Keep the lights on, and you wouldn't have these... 'incidents'!!" The three men directed their attention to the dark-blonde woman; she stared at all of them with a terrifying glare. Ken and Mareo carefully moved aside; Crawford took a step towards her, pausing to await her reaction. Reina dropped her head back down to the floor, falling silent once again.  
  
"Well... I have other patients I need to attend to... I'll check on you a little later." Mareo nervously stepped out of the room, quietly closing the door behind him. Crawford glanced back at Ken; the brunet placed a hand on the back of his head, a nervous smile on his face.  
  
"I have to make a phone call... later!" With that, Ken quickly walked out the room, being a little less quiet with the door then Doctor Mareo had. Crawford sighed as turned his attention back to Reina.  
  
// Figures... I have to be the one to deal with her mood! //  
  
A few minutes had passed, before Crawford managed to build up his defense and set aside the nervousness; he took a step, when Reina spoke up.  
  
"I suppose you have something to do too!!" The younger man paused, swallowing his breath before continuing on his course.  
  
"Actually - I have nothing to do..." Before he got even three feet of her, Reina lifted her head up, one of her most deadliest glares yet on her face. Crawford stopped completely, standing back a little at the pure hate he could see her eyes.  
  
"Is there a problem with the way I am?!" Crawford shook his head, but Reina didn't seem to be paying attention to him.  
  
"You think - you think it's easy to go through life when people think you may have murdered your own mother?!" Reina directed her glare to the floor, hands tighten into fists by her side. Crawford blinked at her, before looking over to where Youji was asleep; he let out a sigh seeing that the blond hadn't woken up.  
  
"Reina, calm down - you might wake your brother up."  
  
"We just wanted to be normal... to be just a normal brother and sister!!" Tears began to seep through her dark-green eyes, streaming down her cheeks as she spoke. She stood to her feet, lifting her head up.  
  
"IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT BITCH IT..." Reina stopped her yelling, but not by her own accordance. She stared wide-eyed at Crawford, who had somehow managed to stand in front of her without her notice, as his mouth came in light contact with hers. Reina just stood there blinking, unable to make sense of the motion; Crawford pulled back, his hands holding the dark- blonde's shoulders in a light touch.  
  
"Sorry, but I was afraid that you might wake your brother up..." He excused, knowing perfectly that wasn't the real reason he had kissed Reina. The older woman didn't reply; she stared down at the floor, a shadow from her bangs covering her eyes.  
  
// ... Bad idea... //  
  
Crawford thought to himself, not daring to speak, but not removing his hands either. After a few minutes had passed, he felt it was necessary to leave; he was about to release Reina when she grasped his arms lightly, keeping him in place. Crawford looked at her in surprise and in worry.  
  
"Reina?"  
  
"Crawford-san no baka!!" The younger man blinked at the comment; a small smile appeared on Reina's face as she looked up at him. Crawford smiled back at her, trying to hold back his laugh, but Reina as well was restraining from bursting out. All too soon, the two let out a light laugh together, still holding on to each other.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Crawford-san no baka!!" Ken listened as he heard that, along side with the laughter that followed. He watched through the small crack of the open door, observing the two caught up in their moment. For an odd reason, the brunet couldn't find the hate or grudge he carried against the Schwarz member currently in there.  
  
// Come to think of it... I've never Crawford laugh like this before... //  
  
He listened as the laughter slowly ceased, leaving the two with just light snickers; Ken noticed Reina wiping at her eyes, indicating she had laughed hard to bring tears. Ken smiled; he had wondered why Youji never really minded Crawford that much around Reina, but that has been solved.  
  
// He even kissed her!! Which gets me wondering... //  
  
Finally the noises ceased inside the room, Ken watched as Reina let go of Crawford's arms, allowing him to leave the room. Ken quickly pressed himself against the wall, hiding behind the door as it opened; he held his breath, not sure if the man had already seen him there beforehand or just now. Once he was sure Crawford was gone, Ken let himself relax away from the wall, staring down the hall before entering the room.  
  
// I would never have thought Crawford - would fall in love with his enemy's sibling. //  
  
Ken couldn't help but grin; falling in love with an enemy was worse enough, being in love with a relative of an enemy had different levels, but still an enemy all the same. Letting out a sigh, Ken entered into the room, finding Reina already setting up the stuff for tonight's sleep. He noticed her heavy aurora had disappeared, leaving him with a much lighter, much happier woman.  
  
"Need a hand, Reina-san?" Reina jumped slightly, turning her attention to the brunet; she let out a sigh, before shaking her head.  
  
"Iie, I've got it done..." Ken smiled, nodding his head.  
  
"Sou ka..." Reina smiled back at him, continuing on with the setup. Ken carefully walked over to where Youji was asleep on the bed, his injured arm underneath his body. Ken gently pulled the bandaged arm from under the blond, laying it out to the side; he ran a tender hand through long, blond hair.  
  
"Oyasumi Youji." Ken glanced over to Reina briefly, seeing that her back was to them and she was kneeling down on the floor fixing the sheets. Ken leaned in quickly, planting a small kiss on Youji's forehead, before going over to where Reina had just finished setting up their sleeping accommodations.  
  
"Eh? Ken-san daijoubu?"  
  
"Hn, daijoubu! Nani?" Reina shook her head, patting lightly on her pillow.  
  
"Nothing... it's just that - you look a little red in the face." Ken stood to his feet, looking in the mirror on the wall, under the light; indeed his face was red, very faint, but still noticeable.  
  
// K'so!! It's a blush!! //  
  
Ken let out a strained laugh, hoping to sound calm and as if nothing was bothering him.  
  
"Daijoubu, Reina-san!! Just a little warm in here... that's all!!"  
  
"A-ah." Reina replied, giving the brunet a queer look. Ken scratched the back of his head, still letting out a strained laugh; he stopped when a pillow collided with his face. He grabbed the pillow before it could fall off his face, and glared at the thrower. Reina glared back at him.  
  
"Urusai! You're going to wake up Youji!!" Ken grumbled, walking back over to his place on floor; he stopped, standing just a little way away from the older woman. Reina placed her hands on her hips, though unless her mood was effective sitting down, Ken did not feel intimidated.  
  
"Ken-san I know what you're thinking and if you dare..." The darker blonde barely finished her sentence before the pillow found its way into her face. Reina pulled the object off her face, teeth clutched together as she let out a low growl; Ken made a quick grab for the other pillow, holding it up in defense. Reina stood up to her feet, pillow in hand.  
  
The two stood there, a pillow each, waiting for the other to dare move and strike. Ken narrowed his eyes a little, his hands tightening around the soft object he was holding; Reina posed herself in defense and offense, ready to strike. Ken moved first, beginning to charge at her; the older woman held her pillow ready. Neither one had a chance to hit when both received a pillow in the head; surprised, both Ken and Reina fell to the floor, looking towards the bed to see a now awake Youji.  
  
"Gomen Youji... We didn't mean to wake you up!" Reina started, picking up the pillow her brother had thrown.  
  
"Yeah, if your sister hadn't started it, you'd probably still be asleep Yo- tan!" Ken felt the pillow hit him hard on the side of his head, the object bouncing off.  
  
"MY fault?! Excuse me!! You're the one who wouldn't stop laughing!!" Ken let his head stay to the side, a semi pained look on his face. The pillow was soft, but Reina had a very powerful throw and it had hurt. The older woman expressed an annoyed look at Ken's reaction to her throw; she grabbed him by the collar and started to yell at him, seeing as Youji was already awake. Ken recovered, yelling back at the woman; the two stopped hearing laughter from the bed.  
  
"O-nee-chan and KenKen - you two are becoming sure good friends!" The two blinked at Youji before blinking at each other for the longest time. Ken felt a smile beginning to strain his face as he tried to hold it back; Reina's shoulders were shaking just a little from the restraint. The two burst out laughing along with Youji, partly holding on to each other for support; Youji stopped laughing first, laying himself back down on the bed as he watched his sister and co-worker continue to laugh over their silliness from before. Finally the two stopped laughing, wiping away their tears.  
  
"Ken-kun!"  
  
"Reina-chan!" They called each other less formally then before, smiling at each other; Reina looked over to the bed to see Youji had fallen asleep. She picked up the pillow from the floor, going over to put it under the lighter blond's head - careful not to disturb him. Once done, Reina headed back to her place on the floor, climbing under the covers she had laid out; Ken slipped under his own, turning his head to say good night.  
  
"Oyasumi - Reina-chan!"  
  
"... Oyasumi, Ken-kun." With that, the two laid themselves down to rest for the night ahead of them, pulling the covers up if necessary since the lights were on.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
YEAHH!! You made it to the end!!! (Just kidding)  
  
Okay... this time I know for SURE that next chapt is the chase scene!!! I'm SOOOOO SURE!!!   
  
Anyways, some thanks!  
  
~ Misura: Arigatou!!! Glad to know you admit to being jealous of Reina and Crawford... shows true fandom!!! *Gets whacked on the head* Thank you for reviewing... and koneko does get kind of cute and I get to make a mockery of Aya (aka Ran) *grin*  
  
~ Anna Hibiki: Arigatou!!!! I hope you liked Ken's little action in this chapt. Decided I need something to show Ken's affections for Youji - and believe me... the kiss between Reina and Crawford wasn't suppose to happen till the very end!!!! Oh well... arigatou!!!  
  
~ Yoru: Arigatou gozaimasu!! No, I didn't strap Youji to a chair and put him in the dark... it is un-ethnical to perform such treatments on a patient in the modern day time... in any time for that matter. Anyways, thank you for reviewing and I'll try to get teen love up so you can read it too!  
  
~ Minmay: Arigatou gozaimasu!!! We have the same views on Youji and like to torture favorite characters a lot! *Grin* Don't know... Youji strikes me as... someone you can fool around with - Ken is too normal, Aya has a past already and so does Omi so... anyways, thank you for reviewing!!!  
  
YEE!! Come again and pls... don't be afraid... it all ends very happily!  
  
Hikari!! ^_^ (Hikari12) 


	11. Chapter 11: Fear's Breath, Death's Hands

Yoho!! Minna-san!! We have a chase!! Sort of... it's kind of not like what happened in the movie - similar, but I know I'm probably missing a few details, since it's been a while since I've seen "Darkness Falls". But anyways... hee, slightly long chapt for you guys to read! ^^  
  
Enjoy now!  
  
Warnings: Shounen-ai hints  
  
Pairings: Youji + Ken, Crawford + Reina (Some ppl like, so those who don't... live with it!!)  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Crawford drove along the brightest lit road; he didn't really believe in Reina's story or explanation of her brother's condition to be true, but it's the thought that scared him in his subconscious mind. A flash of lightening danced across the sky, followed by a loud clap of thunder a few seconds after.  
  
// I hope Reina will be alright... //  
  
He kept his eyes on the road, trying to keep his thoughts from wondering too much if he should miss a turn or a sign. Lightening and thunder came together as one, the sounds of the thunder slightly vibrating buildings; in that instant Crawford saw something flash in his mind briefly, before the street lights turned off with the building lights following soon after. Crawford stopped, being able to since he was the only one on the road; he waited for of the vision to come but nothing followed.  
  
// A fluke? Or real? //  
  
Crawford narrowed his eyes in concentration, trying solve the meaning behind the brief image he saw. It was Reina and Youji - they both appeared to be backed up against a wall or doors, both with frighten expressions on their faces.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
"Iya!" Youji woke up with a start, the thunder clap shaking him from his dreams. Reina was up to her feet in a split second, rushing over to her brother with worried eyes; Ken was still waking up, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes.  
  
"Youji - daijoubu?" The lighter blond nodded his head, about to open his mouth when the lightening and thunder clashed together, making him yelp again. Reina gathered him in her arms, gently rocking him back and forth. Ken come over to the other side of the bed, seating himself on the edge.  
  
"Shh, it's alright Youji... it's just a thunder storm... it's alright."  
  
"Don't worry Yo-tan! We're here - both of us! We won't let anything happen to you." Ken commented; Youji looked over to the brunet, a small smile on his face. Reina sighed, giving her brother a light kiss on the forehead to help calm him, before continuing to rock him. Another clash of lightening and thunder came down, the lights turning off as it died out; Youji buried his face into Reina's chest from fear, however a different set of lights came on before anything could happen.  
  
"K'so! The powers out!" Reina cursed, holding her brother tight in her arms. She looked over to Ken, who was searching around the room as the emergency lights came on. The brunet looked to her, a questioning expression on his face.  
  
"What do we do now? These emergency lights won't stay on for long..." Reina looked down at her frightened brother, before looking back up at Ken. She released her hold on Youji, telling to Ken to stay where he was; Ken blinked, but did as he was told. Reina stood to her feet, walking around the bed to where Ken was sitting; she made the younger man stand to his feet, back towards her.  
  
"Gomen nasai Ken-kun, but..." Reina drove a straight hand hard into the back of his neck; Ken's eyes widened in surprise as he felt himself slowly loses consciousness.  
  
"Rei-na... ch..." Was all the brunet could get out before he fell to the bed; Reina looked down at the unconscious body with slight regret, her hand in a fist. She looked over to Youji, eyeing the shocked expression on his face.  
  
"Gomen Youji - but I didn't want him to see her as well..."  
  
"I understand, O-nee-chan!" Reina smiled, taking her brother by the hand and lead them out of the room. Youji let his sister lead him down the dimly lit halls, now bathed in a blue light; Youji heard a noise, stopping in his tracks. Reina looked back at him, feeling him tug on her hand.  
  
"Youji, what is it?"  
  
"I - I can hear her... she's close by! O-nee-chan!!" The darker blond could hear the fear in his voice, tightening her hand around his; she broke out into a run, pulling Youji down the hall with her. Their footsteps echoed lightly through the empty hallway, trying to get far away from the ghost as much as possible. Finally Reina slowed to a stop, still holding Youji's hand tight in hers.  
  
"Did we... lose her, O-nee-chan?" Youji asked, breathing slightly heavily. Reina shook her head, shrugging her shoulders.  
  
"I don't know, Youji... I don't..." Before she could finish her sentence, a white face appeared out of the shadows, the eyes showing through the holes filling Reina's heart with fear. She let out a scream, feeling Youji pulling on her hand and led her down towards a door at the end. Reina shut the door tight, using the broom Youji had passed her to block it. Recapturing Youji's hand, they ran through the miscellanies objects stored in the room; they come to the end of the room, coming up to an elevator. Reina pushed the button, but the elevator was far from their floor.  
  
Reina turned around, hearing noises through out the room, Youji clung to her arm, making small whimpering noises at the sounds of her getting closer to them. Reina frantically pressed the button several times, though she knew it wouldn't do any good. The two siblings stood back up against the doors, seeing a shadow moving in what little shadow there was. A sharp hand reached out, a rasped growl following with it; Reina and Youji let out a startled yelp, feeling someone pulling them back into the elevator. A flare signal was thrown out lit at the ghost, her voice shrilling at the bright light as the doors closed in front of Youji and Reina.  
  
Taking in deep breaths, Reina looked up to their saver, eyes going wide at who had just saved them. The lift slowly made its way down to the ground floor; amber brown eyes looked down at the siblings.  
  
"You two alright?"  
  
"Crawford!" Youji exclaimed, shocked at to see the Schwarz member here helping him. Crawford glanced over at Reina, holding a hand out for her to take; the older woman stared at him a for while, before taking his hand and stood up to her feet. She turned to help Youji up to his own feet; Reina looked at Crawford with a slightly surprised expression still on her face.  
  
"You - You came back? But why?"  
  
"From what little I saw... it worried me enough... Reina." The older woman felt a smile form on her mouth, which was responded to by the younger man. Youji came up to his sister's side, clinging to her arm again; Reina glanced at him, gently running a hand through his hair.  
  
Abruptly, the elevator stopped, creaking in the process. The sounds above indicated that she was causing the trouble and trying to get to them. The top lid of the lift flew open, a white porcelain face appearing above; both Reina and Youji let out a startled scream. Crawford lit another flare, lighting the whole elevator, succeeding in preventing her from coming in.  
  
"We have to get out of here!" The lift creaked, sliding down the shaft an inch; Crawford turned to the doors, attempting to pull them open. Reina let go of her brother, standing to her feet to help the younger man with the doors; the two together successfully forced them opened.  
  
"Come on, Youji. You first." Reina held out her hand to younger blond, she and Crawford helping him through and over the floor top and the wall. The elevator slipped another inch; Crawford quickly helped Reina through the shrinking opening, reaching for the ledge to pull himself up and through. The top of the elevator touched lightly against his back, he couldn't be sure he would get out in time. Two pairs of hands grabbed him quickly, pulling him out just as the elevator fell the rest of the way.  
  
"Thank you... both of you." Crawford looked to Reina and Youji, breathing slightly heavy from the close experience. Reina nodded her head, still holding on to the younger man's hand. Once they organized themselves again, they ran into a room, all hearing the sounds of her following them. Along the way, Youji had bumped into Doctor Mareo, who had been going about a night check on his patients.  
  
"Reina-san! Youji-san!! What?" Mareo began, but was too confused to finish what he said.  
  
"There's no time to explain... Come on!!" Reina grabbed the man by the coat; Mareo stood confused, staring down into the hallway when he saw a white face, eyes shining with burning hate that filled his heart with a sudden fear. He yelped, following after the others into a more lighted area; Reina shut the door tight, bumping and frightening two nurses who were doing nightly checks.  
  
"Kami-sama! What is going on?!" One of the nurses exclaimed, trying to calm her heart beat down. Reina looked at everyone, holding tight her brother in her arms.  
  
"There's no time... Mareo-sensei! How long do we have the emergency lights for?"  
  
"Eh... eto... maybe a few more minutes...Will it be enough?" Reina nodded her head, taking Youji's hand and started making their way towards the stairwell. Crawford followed behind them, Doctor Mareo and the two nurses following as well.  
  
"Enough to get us out... but we need to find a place that doesn't run on electricity!" Reina paused to turn to look at everyone.  
  
"The lighthouse! There's a lighthouse not far from here - that runs on gas!"  
  
"Alright - let's go!" Reina started walking again; Crawford cut his way in front of her, silently asking if he could take led. She allowed him, holding tight on to her brother's hand. One of the nurses speed-walked a little to demand an explanation for this leaving.  
  
"If we don't get out of here, we're all dead! She'll be after us since most of us has seen her." Reina explained; the other nurse let out a worried hum.  
  
"Then we should get the other patients!!"  
  
"They'll be fine... they haven't - seen her!" Youji explained, keeping a tight hold on his sister's strong hand. Crawford stopped, as one of the lights switched off, leaving a large shadow gap between them and a wall of pipes, shining in the light. Crawford glanced over the distance and the amount of space; taking in a deep breath, he raced across the dark, keeping in the light as much as he could. Nothing happened. He turned back to the others, nodding his head.  
  
"It's fine here! Just stay in the light." He kept his back tight up against the wall, sliding down a little more. Reina released Youji's hand, standing him in front of her, hands on his shoulders. Youji took in a deep breath, nodding to give his sister a signal; Reina then shoved him lightly into the shadows briefly and towards the wall. She let out her breath, seeing that he made it unharmed.  
  
"Just stay up against the wall... You'll be fine - Youji." The blond looked to Crawford, slowly sliding himself down up against the wall over to where the older man was standing. Reina moved next, making it through untouched as began to scoot across the wall. One of the nurses felt a little panicked, rushing in too close to the shadows; Crawford saw this, but was too late in warning her. A rasp growl sounded in the dark, the nurse fell into the light as she was hit.  
  
"Damn!" Crawford carefully let Youji and Reina pass by him, while he went to help the injured woman on the floor. Mareo came over more successful then the nurse, lifting the nurse around one shoulder, while Crawford reached for the other.  
  
"Let's go!" Mareo nodded, following along with Crawford against the wall with the nurse in their arms. The other nurse carefully made her way through the shadows, quickly catching up with the others.  
  
Youji and Reina had run ahead of them down the stairs, three of the lights shutting off in different places of the stairs. Reina stopped, stopping her brother as well as they waiting for the others to catch up with them. Crawford let out a long breath, staring at the situation in hand.  
  
"Looks like we have to jump it."  
  
"All - all of them? Together?" Mareo asked, staring slightly wide-eyed at him. The raven-head nodded, adjusting his hold around the wounded woman; the other nurse clung herself to Mareo, each holding the other tight.  
  
"Okay... on my count - 1... 2... 3!" All four jumped on the three, but the nurse on the end had been taken by the ghost, her scream only sounding briefly in the dark. Crawford slowly stood up to his feet, still holding on to the injured nurse; Mareo shook his head to clear up the pain that had gone through his body. Regaining their senses, the two men held on to the unconscious woman, ready to jump the next set of stairs in the shadow.  
  
The jumped on the count of three, the ghost grabbing the nurse in between them. Both Crawford and Mareo landed with a thud on the floor, having no delicate weight to worry about.  
  
"Crawford-san!!" Reina called from where they were, still at least another set or two away from them. Crawford shook his head, standing up to feet before helping the doctor up to his.  
  
"Okay, last few... can you manage?" The doctor nodded, taking a stand next to the taller man for the next leap. On the count, they jumped in to the dark; Crawford could hear her swooping in quickly - he shoved Mareo ahead of him, feeling sharp fingers rip through his shirt and into his shoulder. He rolled down the rest of the stairs, landing in the light on his back.  
  
"Crawford-san!!" Reina caught Mareo, leaving him with her brother before quickly rushing up the stairs to where Crawford laid, wincing in slight pain. The dark-blonde helped him up to a sitting position, working him to his feet from there slowly. She took Crawford around the uninjured shoulder, helping down the rest of the stairs to the ground floor where Mareo and Youji were waiting.  
  
"Daijoubu ka?" Crawford slowly regained his breath, before nodding his head to Reina's question.  
  
"Hai, I'm alright - thank you." The older woman smiled slightly, still supporting Crawford up in her arms. The emergency lights around them soon turned off, leaving them with the very few that were still on. Crawford saw something flash in his mind as a different sound became more audible and a different source of light began to shine through the doors of the hospital. The lights were headlights from a car, as the front smashed intentionally through the glass doors, basking them in light.  
  
"Come on, let's get out of here!!" Youji's eyes widened at the recognition of the voice; not sparing a moment, he ushered Reina and the others into the car, sure enough recognizing the driver as Ken. Reina stared in shock at him, mouth hanging open slightly.  
  
"I knocked you out! That hit should've kept you out for 8 hours!!"  
  
"I have a hard head, so forgive me!" Crawford took over the driver seat, backing them out and on to the street towards the lighthouse a little way from them. Ken turned around to face Youji in the back, throwing a flashlight over his shoulders; the blond caught the object, holding it tight in his hands.  
  
"Don't lose that Youji... it's the only one that lasts!" Youji nodded, holding the flashlight close to his chest. Ken smiled, turning back around to face the front. Reina reached a careful hand out to lightly touch Crawford's wound, hoping not to distract him from his driving - which she didn't. Mareo spoke, the others turning their attention to him.  
  
"Well - we're safe in here now, right? She, or whatever that thing is, can't get us." No sooner had he said that, the glass of the back window shattered, shards of glass flying everywhere inside. Mareo was pulled through the opening, his screams of terror fading into the night shadows. Youji lowered himself down in the seat, Reina following his example as the ghost tear and batted at the car - shaking it violently.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Haha... just cause I'm mean and like to leave ppl in suspense - this is all of the chase that I'm giving, so... Muhahahahaha!!! *evil grin*  
  
^_^ Don't worry minna-san! I'll get the rest of the chase up and the conclusion!! Just didn't want to end the story so soon - plus it's like almost 11pm and I'm really tired and dead!!! *tipsy laughter*  
  
So sorry if I'm taking the time to thank ppl individually - but THANK YOU ALL!! *smile* And sorry for errors or spelling/grammar mistakes... I'm tired and don't feel like reading over this again...  
  
Till next time! G'night!  
  
Hikari!! ^_^ (Hikari12) 


	12. Chapter 12: Lighthous Escape

Yoho!! Minna-san!! Sorry I haven't gotten this up sooner. I've just been having a lot of problems lately and freaked a lot of ppl out Tues. So, I wasn't really in the mood for writing much. Anyways - yeah got it up! And some finally chase parts.  
  
Enjoy now!  
  
Warnings: Light shounen-ai  
  
Pairings: Ken + Youji, Crawford + Reina  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Author's note: Just to let you guys know, I was being lazy and decided to have them jump right to the lighthouse scene, so don't be confused, ne? Genki! ^_^  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Ken held the gas based lantern up high, with Reina, Youji and Crawford following behind, Crawford holding another lantern to protect behind. It had only been the four of them that made it to the lighthouse unharmed; Ken and Crawford made the last connection, filling the tank up with the gas to power the lighthouse.  
  
"Okay - Reina-chan, take Youji up to the top where the light is. You two should be safe there once the light is on."  
  
"Hai." The darker blond took the lantern from Crawford, holding it high enough to keep her and her brother in the light. Crawford and Ken checked through one last time, making sure the connection were right and the gas was poured into the right place.  
  
"Alright, let's go!" Ken nodded, following after the older man up to where the switch was and where Reina and Youji were, huddled around the lantern. Crawford knelt down next to Reina, placing a gentle arm around her shoulder; Ken crawled over to the switch down in a platform under the actually light, flipping it down. The light turned on and began to rotate around in the circle.  
  
"O-nee-chan!" Youji let out his breath, seeing that the light was enough to keep the ghost away. Reina reached her hand out, holding her brothers hand in hers. All too soon, however, the light stopped rotating, the glow dying out as the power ceased to run. Youji whimpered, quickly burying himself into his sister's arms.  
  
"Ken, what happened?"  
  
"I don't know... something must be wrong with the connections! Let's go down and check." Ken climbed back up, holding up his lantern as he and Crawford made their way down the spiral stairs to figure out the problem. Reina looked down at the lantern in front of her, seeing it was beginning to die out; she called to the two men quickly, before they disappeared from sight.  
  
"Hurry! We don't have much oil left in these lanterns!" Ken raised his hand to show they heard and continued on down the steps.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Ken and Crawford reached near to the bottom, shining the lantern to point out the problem; they checked connection and found no breaks or loose wires. Crawford placed a hand on the brunet's shoulder, pausing him in his steps; Ken looked at the older man questioningly.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Take a sniff and tell me what you smell." Ken took in a semi-deep breath, a dizzying, yet familiar smell flooding his nose.  
  
"Gas... a leak, then!" Crawford nodded; the two searched for the leak in the system, finding one of the hollow wire pipes spurting gas, a old rag tied around it suppose to keep it in. Ken handed the lantern to Crawford, climbing over the railing to tighten the rag; Crawford leaned forward as far as he could to give the brunet light, but still tried to keep himself in the light as well. Ken fumbled with the knot, struggling to move the rag up higher over the leak and tighter; Crawford heard something move in the dark, seeing something flash in his mind.  
  
"Ken, come back!!"  
  
"What?" Ken looked back at him, successfully tying the knot tighter and ceasing the leak. He felt something grab him from behind, threatening to lift him up in the air. Crawford swung the lantern at the shadow, hearing it crack and a painful shrill; he jumped over the railing to catch Ken from falling over, his hand coming in contact with rough wounds on the shorter man's back.  
  
// Damn... no light! //  
  
Crawford heard her move in the shadows, searching the area for her, ready to move before she could strike. However, she proved much too fast for him; he felt at his back, sending both him and Ken down to the lower level of the lighthouse.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
"Iya!! Dame!!" Reina panicked, franticly pushing the small gas petal on the side of the lantern to keep it from going out. Youji held on to his sister's arm, watching the light beginning to fade into the dark; he sat back, feeling something in the back of his pocket. He remembered what it was, pulling out the flashlight Ken had given him in the car; he turned it on.  
  
Reina, given up on the lantern, huddled close to him, holding on the flashlight as well. The two could hear a rasp whisper in the dark, but where it was coming from they could not tell. Almost silently and swiftly, she came down on them, knocking over Reina who bumped her brother. Youji had dropped the flashlight, the object rolling across the floor out of his reach.  
  
"DAME!!" He felt Reina's arms go around him protectively, attempting to keep him well covered, as if she could have been light itself. She let out a yelp at the rough hand that slashed through her back; Youji took a hold of her, standing her up to her feet to run. The ghost tipped them both back, falling to the same level where Crawford and Ken laid.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Crawford slowly opened his eyes, staring up at the mess of wires above him; he sat himself up carefully, wincing slightly from his wound from earlier before. The whole floor smelt like gas; he checked his shoulder to make sure that it didn't get infected or covered with gas. He let out a sigh, feeling it was dry.  
  
He searched through the dark, eyes finally resting on the brunet laying face down on the floor unconscious. He went over carefully, shaking Ken on the shoulder to try and wake him up.  
  
"Oi! Ken, get up! We have to flip the switch!" He received no response from the shorter man. Crawford placed two fingers along Ken's neck, feeling for a pulse; he let out a sigh, finding the light beat against his fingers. He picked the brunet up and sat him against the wall, searching for the switch, knowing it was on this level. He eyed the switch just before a fallen beam, but very space underneath or above to make it through. Crawford tried to reach out for the switch, but it was too far out of his reach.  
  
"DAME!!" His eye widened when he heard Reina's voice. He heard a glass crash he heard a yelp, followed by Youji and Reina falling to the lower level, hearing Youji's voice through the dark.  
  
"O-nee-chan, O-nee-chan!!!" Crawford retracted his hand back, making his way over to where Reina laid on her side, groaning softly from the pain. Crawford helped her up to a sitting position, nodding his head off in another direction to indicate where Ken was seated. Youji nodded, making his way over the brunet, huddling himself close.  
  
Crawford helped Reina over to where Ken and Youji sat, close to where the switch was and sat her up against the wall. He looked to the source of light, which was only the ignition from the lantern and the excess gas that had leaked on to the floor. The gas, however was burning fast - the light slowly fading into shadows. Crawford grabbed Youji by the arm, pointing to the switch just behind the beam.  
  
"Can you reach it? There's not enough space for me under it!"  
  
"I-I can try..." Youji crawled over to the beam, surprisingly enough, he could fit underneath the space that was. He reached out for the switch, but it was just little bit of his reach. He heard Reina screaming, looking back briefly to see the shadows were coming very close to them and he could see the ghost moving very inch the shadow covered. Youji turned back, straining his arm out as far as he could, but he still couldn't reach it.  
  
"Youji hurry!!"  
  
"I can't reach it!!" Crawford scooted Reina back as far as they could go, holding her up against him. A hand reached through the shadows, daring to go into the light; the ghost hissed from its actions, drawing it back slightly. Reina let out a scream as it got closer; Youji reached out again, hearing his sister cry, this time somehow, managing to flip the switch.  
  
The light came back on, lighting up the area; they heard a shrill from above them, as the ghost flew away from the light and into whatever shadows she could find. Reina took in deep, uneven breaths trying to calm herself down; Youji crawled back from under the beam, going over the now awaking Ken, huddling close to him. Ken blinked himself awake, eyeing the light was on and running; he looked down at Youji holding on to him, face buried into his arm. Ken smiled, looking over to Reina and Crawford to see they were pulling away from each other slightly.  
  
"Do you think - she's gone?" Ken asked, hoping to distract them all from this horrible nightmare. Reina nodded her head hesitantly, helping to support Crawford up to his feet.  
  
"I hope so, Ken-kun. I hope so."  
  
"One way to find out." All three looked up at Crawford. Taking in a deep breath, he climbed up a level to where the light was rotating, standing on the grid searching around the area. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he kneeled down to face the others, holding out a hand to help them up.  
  
"It's alright now - there's nothing here." Reina stood to her feet first, taking a quick whiff at her shirt - she smelled like gasoline. Crawford still kept his hand out, waiting for someone to take it; Reina looked at it, before looking up to the younger man. The darker blonde saw something flash behind him, letting out a frighten gasp.  
  
"Crawford behind you!!" Crawford looked behind, but had no second to think, when the ghost grasped him by the neck, lifting him up in the air with her. She hissed from the burning pain of the rotating light shining against what little exposed skin there was. Crawford struggled against her grip, unintentionally breaking the plastic-like cover of the light, inflicting a few sparks.  
  
Unsure of what to do, he reached for her face, grabbing the closest thing he could - the white porcelain mask - tearing it off her face. The mask fell to the grid floor, shattering into pieces as it hit. The distorted, hairless, skinless face snapped back into place, hateful eyes staring at him. Crawford let out yelp at the fear rising in his heart, feeling the air depleting from his lungs.  
  
"Brad!!" Reina panicked, unsure of what to do. She eyed the sparks from the broken light, an idea popping into her head. She looked to Youji and Ken, a determined look on her face.  
  
"Youji - close your eyes!!" The blond blinked, noticing the light blush across his sister's face; but he obeyed, covering his hands over his eyes. Reina took in a deep breath, pulling off her shirt over her head. Ken felt his face heat up, stuttering with his words as he tried not to look.  
  
"Reina-chan!!!" Reina ignored him, climbing to the upper level to the light; she held her gas-soaked shirt up to the sparks, watching the material catch fire rather quickly. She turned her attention to the ghost, getting her aim right quickly before the shirt burned out.  
  
"Hey bitch!! Try this!!!" The darker blonde swung her shirt three times before releasing it; the fiery object landed over the ghost's head, letting out a painfully shrill from the fire. She released her hold on Crawford, the man dropping down to the floor landing on his wounded shoulder. Reina made her way over to him, carefully helping him up to a sitting position; Crawford glanced at her briefly, catching himself from looking lower then he should.  
  
The shrills from the ghost, grabbed their attention; she managed to pull the shirt off her head, but her torn cloak had already caught on fire. The flames burned through her, the shrills becoming louder and higher as streams of green light escaped from her ghostly body. Reina and Crawford held on to each other, burying their faces in each other's shoulder as the ghost exploded.  
  
A long silence passed; Reina slowed her breathing down, pulling away from the younger man's shoulder. Crawford pulled back as well, staring straight in the eyes with her; Reina felt a gentle smile form across her face, looking down at her hands. Crawford smiled back, taking the older woman's hands into his, holding them tenderly.  
  
A cough distracted them from their staring, both turning their attention to Ken and Youji, who both were on the upper level now. Reina pulled her hands away from Crawford's, crossing her arms across her chest to cover what she could, seeing she was just left in her bra. Crawford shrugged off his jacket, placing it around her shoulders.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
No, this isn't the end... yet! Next chapt, I'm sad to say, is the ending one. Anyways, it's like... late and I'm really, really, really, really, really, REALLY tired... so, I'm going to skip the individual thanks for now.  
  
But THANK YOU ALL!! =^_^=  
  
Hikari!! ^_^ (Hikari12)  
  
(Note to Minmay: Sorry, I guess I should have said email or AOL or MSN or something like that... ^^;; Just thought you might be fun to talk to, since we have such close views on Youji and blah... well, sorry for the confusion, thank you for reading!!) 


	13. Side Story: What Happened in The End

Side Note: Um... hi, minna-san. *Sweat drop* I'm afraid this is all I have for Darkness Falls - I just couldn't get the inspiration to finish it off at the end, so I've decided to end it there.  
  
But... I hate to leave ppl wondering what happened to everyone in the end, so here's a small (very small) afterwards story. This part takes place some time after the whole light-house episode, so... Gomen nasai!!!   
  
Warnings: Light shounen-ai hints  
  
Pairings: Ken + Youji, Crawford + Reina  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Reina and Crawford stood to their feet, both holding the same, fairly large cake knife in their hands; they waited for the countdown from the crowd before carefully cutting through the two-layered cake. The flashes of cameras and a round of applause went off, the couple looking a little embarrassed. Schuldig had a slight pout on his face, slipping into Nagi's mind.  
  
:: Do you find this weird? Or is it just me? ::  
  
// What so weird? // Nagi asked mentally, halting his clapping; Schuldig sighed in the boy's head, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
:: Well - oh come on!! This is Crawford we're talking about!!! ::  
  
// Yeah, what about? // The brunet seemed highly causal with the event, as if it was something that happened almost all the time; Schuldig whined a little, his pout turning into a frightening expression.  
  
:: We're talking about Crawford getting married here!! ::  
  
// Officially - he already is married. This is the reception. // Schuldig looked at Nagi with a narrow gaze, this time vocalizing his thoughts.  
  
"That's not the point!! What's going to happen to us? As Schwarz, if one of the members is out?!"  
  
"Well, since there is no one who can replace Crawford, Schwarz will be joining Weiss." Both Nagi and Schuldig stiffened at the voice behind them, hesitantly turning their heads around to face a woman, dressed in a long black, v-neck dress, dark hair flowing over her shoulders.  
  
"Gaelle-sama!!"  
  
"Hiyo! You two seem surprised to see me." Nagi held one hand over his mouth, while Schuldig cleared his throat, trying to regain his usually composure.  
  
"Well, it's not everyday we seen our boss out in public... what brings you, Gaelle-sama!" Schuldig winked on her name, receiving a narrow look from the woman. She hmfed, turning away from the German telepath.  
  
"Why not? This is Crawford having a lover - and getting hitched. So why wouldn't I come?" Gaelle hummed, gazing over her shoulder a very sly look; Nagi inched away from her, Schuldig tried to keep himself from dropping his jaw open. Gaelle waved at him, before walking off to mingle with the rest of the guests at the reception.  
  
Reina had walked off from the front of the room, going over to where her father and brother were sitting. Her father stood up as she got closer, giving her an embrace; Reina accepted it, trying hard to keep her tears back. They pulled back, the father staring happily at his daughter.  
  
"I'm glad you are able to settle, Reina. It makes me happy to know you can be happy." The dark blonde nodded, feeling Crawford come up behind her, sliding an arm around her waist. The father looked proudly to him, giving Crawford the best regards for his daughter and a few warnings; Reina blushed, complaining that he shouldn't say such things. Crawford laughed slightly.  
  
"It's alright, Reina. I think after what we've been through - dealing with you is nothing." Reina nudged him gently in the side, before a wide smile formed across her face. Youji came up to his sister, light green eyes seeming full with joyful tears; Reina opened her arms to him, silently inviting her brother in an embrace. Youji accepted it, hugging his sister tight, as if he would never seen after this again.  
  
"O-nee-chan..."  
  
"Daijoubu Youji. I'm always here." Youji nodded his head, resting his chin on the dark blonde's shoulder; the siblings pulled back, Reina carefully wiping away her brother's tears with her fingers. Crawford gave Youji a light pat on the shoulder, giving the blond a smile; the father came up to them, glancing at Reina and Youji.  
  
"I suppose there is an advantage to having more then one child - at least one will have a proper relationship!" The father sent a narrow gaze at his son; Youji smiled nervously, scratching the back of his head. It didn't help him much that Ken just decided to wrap his arms around the blond's waist to make a point.  
  
"Mou, O-too-san! Leave Youji alone. He's had enough trouble with the fairy!!" The father let out a laugh, giving Youji a reassuring pat and smile. Youji smiled widely, turning to his sister with a slightly mischievous hint in his eyes.  
  
"O-nee-chan! You still have to throw your bouquet!!" Reina blinked, looking at the flowers she was holding in one hand. She looked up at Crawford, seeing the raven-head nodding his head; Reina sighed, as the others gathered the single women and readied them for the throw. Reina positioned herself with her back towards them, counting down before turning and tossed the bouquet in the air.  
  
Some of the girls jumped to catch it, but in the end the flowers ended up landing in the black, gloved-covered hands of Gaelle. Gaelle stared down at the flowers before a wide grin crossed her face.  
  
"Guess this means I'm next one to be married!"  
  
"Sou ka!" Schuldig came up behind her, draping his arm around her shoulder; Gaelle glared at him, cursing him in German. Schuldig spoke back in the same language, effectively rendering their conversation private in their language. Youji and Ken watched with slight surprise.  
  
"Gaelle-sama is from Germany by the way." Crawford explained; practically everyone who heard him, looked at him with slightly wide eyes. The raven- head nodded, going back to watching the two speak in German.  
  
"Demo, she looks very Asian!!"  
  
"Surgery - to attain the Asian look. Though she's originally from Germany."  
  
"So, Gaelle? and Schuldig know each other?" Youji asked, eyeing the informal way the redhead seemed to be around her, despite the fact that she was his boss. Crawford nodded again silently, and they watched as the two talked on in their little world.  
  
"Sou desu ka?" Gaelle asked, switching back to Japanese; her eye brows were twitching slightly in annoyance. Schuldig grinned, shrugging his shoulders.  
  
"Why not? I mean, considering what we had before back in Germany." Gaelle let out sigh, turning to face Schuldig full bodily. The redhead's grin widened, eyeing the look in the dark-haired woman's eyes.  
  
"Schuldig..."  
  
"Hai?"  
  
"BAKA YAROU!!" Somehow, some way Gaelle managed to high kick Schuldig in the face, without having to tear her dress or fall to the floor in doing so. The telepath collapsed to the floor from the assault; Gaelle dropped the bouquet on top of him, hmfing before she walked off. Reina held a hand over her mouth, while the others could only stare wide-eyed at the woman walking away.  
  
"Ano - Are you sure they were together at one point?" Crawford shrugged his shoulders, answering Reina's question in a slight mumble. The dark blonde sighed, turning her attention to her brother and his lover; Ken seemed to be embarrassing Youji again. Youji had a bright blush on his face, yelling at Ken while the brunet just snickered, lightly poking at him. Reina smiled, letting out a content sigh at everything around her.  
  
// O-kaa-san... I wish you were here to see this... Everyone is so happy now. //  
  
Reina felt two hands gently grasp her face, turning her head to gaze into amber brown eyes full of concern. Crawford wiped away her tears with his thumb, before pulling her into an embrace. Reina reached her own arms around him, crying on to his shoulder; Crawford slowly swayed her back and forth, reaching under her veil to hold her head.  
  
"O-nee-chan?" Reina moved her head just enough to face her brother, not letting go of her hold around Crawford. Youji looked at her with a small smile, small tears in his eyes as well; they both seemed to have thought the same thing, cause Youji explained to her quite simply.  
  
"Mama - would be very proud and happy now..." Reina nodded, feeling a smile form on her face, burying her face in Crawford's chest.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
"So, mama cried that day?" The boy asked, looking up at his father with slightly surprised eyes; Brad smiled, nodding his head.  
  
"However, she didn't cry because she was sad - she cried because she was happy." The boy looked confusingly up at his father, eyes wondering around the room. He sat up in bed, hugging one of his stuff animals in his arms.  
  
"What about uncle? Has the fairy come back? Is he still afraid of the dark?" Brad shook his head, laughing slightly; he knew the boy was just asking these extra questions just to extend his bedtime - which it was already quite late for him. Brad stood to his feet, holding the covers up for his son to crawl under. Reluctantly, the boy climbed underneath, lying back against his pillow, while his father tucked him in. Brad sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand through dark brown hair.  
  
"Sleep tight, Roy." He leaned down to give a good night kiss on Roy's head, before standing up to his feet. He turned the light off, quietly closing the door behind, but left it open just ajar. Roy looked at the door, hearing the footsteps of his father fade down the hall; he turned back on his side, closing his eyes. He heard something moving, but passed it off as something else; he opened his eyes feeling a presence in his room. Roy jumped at the feeling of someone letting themselves down upon, but let out a breath seeing it was only his mother.  
  
"Konban wa - Mama."  
  
"Konban wa. Got you again, Roy." The boy pouted at his mother's sneakiness, but allowed her to kiss his cheek.  
  
"Your father telling scary stories again?"  
  
"Iie - he was telling me about O-ji-chan and the evil fairy!" Reina sighed, running a hand through Roy's soft hair.  
  
"It's still a scary story!" Roy pouted again, looking up at his mother. He sat up in bed, Reina sitting on the edge; he looked at her with a slight disapproved look which only made him pout more. Reina had to giggle at the cute sight.  
  
"Mama! Aren't you suppose to be in bed too! I want a healthy imouto!!"  
  
"The baby won't be coming for another 7 months, Roy. There's still time before I have to start worrying." Roy went into deep thought, blinking a bit before accepting it as an answer. He laid back down against the pillow, saying good night to his mother; Reina said good night as well, leaning forward to give him a kiss on the forehead. Her hand reached underneath the boy's pillow, quickly and quietly exchanging the tooth there with the token she hid in her hand. She stood to her feet, quietly walking across the room and closed the door behind her, leaving it open just ajar.  
  
Fin  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Yo! Minna-san!! Sorry for the inconvenience of this fic - but it's finally finished!! Well, actually it's been finished for a while... this is just a side story to let ppl know what happened to Youji, Reina, Ken and Crawford. Yes, Crawford and Reina did get married - and don't be surprised if Gaelle comes up in another fic. I've decided that she gets to be the boss of Schwarz (after the fall of Esste of course)  
  
Anyways - hope ppl enjoyed this fic. ^^;; Thank you everyone who read this fic - Darkness Falls has become of my most successful written piece in the 3 year span that I've been writing. But I couldn't have done it without all of you guys' help! BIG ARIGATOU TO EVERYONE!!! =^_^=  
  
Hikari!! ^_^ (Hikari12) 


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